Dark Reprise
by DemonFox38
Summary: Cultists trying to resurrect Dracula's kingdom are a reoccurring problem for Soma Cruz. Now, there's a new wager on the table—a lost treasure of the dark lord's. Can he figure out what it is before he is tempted by its power? Worse yet, what will the cultists do to Soma and his friends when they discover the truth about a disguised prince hiding in his shadow?
1. Chapter 1

**Dark Reprise**

* * *

It wasn't bad enough that he'd missed his train twice. It was barely tolerable when the batteries in his phone ran out of juice. Sitting next to a wheezing old man guaranteed he would have some disgusting disease come next morning. There were games he could have been playing, homework to finish, girls to call, idiots on 2chan to correct. The last thing the student in the black jacket wanted to be doing that night was wrestling with an aging rail line, trying to fight his way home through glowing city streets.

When tissue girls started harassing him outside of the train station, the student had had enough.

They started innocently enough. "Please! Take this."

"I don't need any tissues," the student grumbled. There was always some catch associated with them. A political party wanting votes, health nuts trying to educate the masses, some television show scrambling for commercial appeal. The late boy had no time to mess with anyone. He just wanted to go home and waste what little was left of his night.

One girl scooted to his side. He grimaced at her. She was a plain-faced girl, making up for her appearance with little clips. She spoke softly, trying to hold his attention. "But we have a message from our lord."

Oh, damn them all to hell! The last thing the student needed was interference from religious nutjobs, too. "He knows my e-mail address. He can message me."

"You must listen to us! It's super important!" A girl with princess curls closed in on him. She batted her dark eyes, shoving her chest forward. Pretty, but obnoxious. Had it been any other circumstance, the late student may have tried flirting with her.

"Don't waste my time," the traveler grumbled.

The curly-haired girl didn't listen to him. She circled around him, tracing nails on his shoulders. "Don't you want eternal life? Our master can give it to you. You can have so many gifts through him!"

"Get the hell away from me!" the student shouted. "Tell your fake god to shove it!"

The girls folded together. They muttered worried whispers between each other. The student shook his head. What a gross bunch of gossips. There had been a time where super religious zealots like them would have been killed and buried in unmarked graves. Such barbarism wasn't unappealing to the irritated student.

"He won't serve our master," the dull girl sighed.

"Very well." Princess Curls scoffed. "He's not worth saving, anyway."

Hands reached for the student. Nails pierced his clavicle as the missionaries drew him back. The student struggled, fighting to break the girls' fingers and run. They wrestled back, then slammed him into the pavement. He looked around, trying to find others in the darkness. Where had everyone else gone? Could no one see the girls tearing him to pieces?

He shuddered as wet heat pressed against open, bleeding wounds. Wild eyes pierced his soul as eager tongues lapped at his blood. The student balked in confusion. These girls acted as demons, but had no horns. No sharpened teeth. Just their long nails and lips dyed red with his blood.

He hurled screams into the night sky. No one answered his prayers for salvation.

/***/

He was the bodily heir of a dark force beyond the control of most humans. He had seen castles crumble beneath his feet, demons writhe and wither, found those that would have destroyed him kneeling before him in exhausted submission. If he sought the true evil in his soul, then there was hardly anything in the world that could stop him. Even as he was now, just happy to take the life of an average person, power flowed from his fingers and into his core. Soma Cruz was not a young man to underestimate, no matter how quiet or cheerful he seemed.

So, when Mina conked him on the head and knocked him out, he was a little impressed.

A broom's handle pulled away from his face. A terrified chirp came from above him as he swam through dizzying spots. "Soma! Are you alright?"

Soma raised his head. Crouched next to him, Mina screwed up her face and flushed redder than her hair. She pushed his bangs out of his eyes, looking over him for any injuries. "I'm sorry! I didn't think I had hit you that hard!"

"N-no! I'm fine. Give me a second." Soma rolled onto his rear end, then searched around him. A wooden dowel rod lay next to his right hand. He picked it up, then sighed. His activities with Mina were getting too rough.

His friend stood up, then dusted off her leggings. "I told you we should have gotten helmets! I'm sure my father's got some old straw ones around here somewhere."

"Those hats actors use during autumn festival plays? Oh, sure!" Soma laughed off his pain. "And what if you ended up breaking one?"

Mina put one hand on her hip. "It would just give them character."

Character—the one word everybody used to try and describe damage. A splintered wicker chair with flat, straw-filled seats had character. Rice-paper walls with holes torn through them? More character. Rusted antiques? Decapitated statues covered in moss? Chipped teeth and scars? As charming as Cyrano himself.

However, if there was anyone that could appreciate what was broken and old, it was the two of them—a shrine keeper's daughter and the demon slayer with a devil's soul.

Mina pulled Soma onto his feet. "I've spent too much time playing around today. I should be making rounds."

"You want to learn how to fight, and you think it's playing?" Soma shook his head. "Have you even been in a kendo club, or archery, or anything?"

"I had my responsibilities here." Mina shrugged. The ribbons in her hair bobbed along with her head as she spoke. "Besides—I didn't need to know how to fight before."

It wasn't as if she had to guard her temple, like she was living in lawless times. That was what policemen were for, even in their peaceful little part of the world. Soma just had the bad luck of having strange darkness in his shadow. No matter what he did with his life, he would always have to be fighting off demons looking for their lost master. Worse yet, humans who thought he would be better suited as their lord. Anyone who stood with him had to have a resolve stronger than his.

Turning a miko into maiden of war was going to take a small miracle. At least Mina had the spirit for it, if not the training.

"What do we need to do?" Soma asked.

Mina beamed. "You want to help me with my chores?"

"Sure!" Soma's hand snuck behind his neck, a shy snake seeking refuge. "A-after that, maybe we can go grab something to eat."

"Absolutely! It's a date!" She checked her words, then backtracked. "Or not. You know. Whatever. Friends doing things together."

Soma nodded in agreement. "R-right. Things."

If there was anything that made him quiver more than the thought of fighting fiends from hell, it was dating. There was too much expected out of young people going out together. Suits, bouquets, rings, wedding dates, names for their first five children. Soma couldn't think that far ahead. Certainly not with Mina. She was great—the best friend ever, forever. But to think like adults, to be responsible to someone else for the rest of his life…right now, that was too complicated. If she was okay just being friends, than so was he.

Even if they worried about each other every day. Even if she was willing to take up a sword to stand with him. Even if the thought of monsters hurting her made him want to surrender his body to the dark lord inside him.

Both reached for their umbrellas, then stepped outside of the awning protecting their heads. It wasn't a rainy day. Rather, it was misty—gray and thick, like being rolled up in wet spider webs. Heat was hitting the hills, sending melted snow spilling down in billowing clouds. They would disappear into the fog if they stepped any more than three meters in front of each other. At least their red and blue umbrellas were bright. They wouldn't lose each other this way.

The shrine seemed empty today. Nobody wanted to be out worshipping in crappy weather. Just as well. Soma felt more at peace when he was alone to study his surroundings. Really, any sanctuary would do. The presence of the divine came and went, but he couldn't deny the value of hard work. Places like Notre Dame and Fushimi Inari-taisha weren't beautiful because the gods said it was so. It was the hands of people that made them glow.

Soma lifted his head. "Are you burning incense?"

"No," Mina replied. "Someone else must be here."

He took a sniff, then looked around. It was coming further below. Feet slid down steep stairs. Red bibs bobbed in his vision. It was all he could see of the hundreds of statues surrounding the Hakuba Shrine. He let his nose take lead, instincts closer to that of an animal's driving him forward. White smoke beckoned him, like a ghastly arm waving him over.

He stopped before a beautiful statue. Smoke burned at her feet. Her eyes were devoid of pupils, face hanging in stoic emptiness. A swaddled child was cuddled to her breast. He looked at the baby, then drew back in shock. He bumped into Mina. Both gave a panicked cry, but settled down quickly.

"What's up with this statue?" Soma asked.

"I've never told you?" Mina shook her head. "This is a pretty important one. It's a gift our family gave."

Soma tipped his head. "To who?"

Mina took on a proper stance. Soma's back slipped. He was familiar with that one—the persona of a storyteller, telling tales from days long passed. "Long, long ago, there was this woman that lived in our town. She was poor and had no family. By more misfortune, she became pregnant and gave birth to a baby. But, there was something wrong with it. Everyone called it a demon because of the way it looked."

"What was wrong with it?" Soma murmured.

"It's like you see." Mina patted the coddled infant. "I don't think it was really a demon. I mean, we've seen demons. They don't look like that."

Soma glanced at the baby once more. He couldn't disagree with Mina. The child was a bit frightening to look at, but it seemed human. It was just put together wrong. They lived in an age of science and knew certain diseases. What was demonic to those in the past was nothing more than a cleft lip or conjoined bodies to people today. So the baby's eyes were bulbous, its head sunken, its skin rough. It was still human.

Soma sank on his heels. "What happened to the baby?"

"It didn't live long," Mina sighed. "The mother asked everyone in town to help her find a place to bury it. Every shrine turned her away—even ours. Everyone thought she had done something wrong to be cursed with a child like that, so they kicked her out. Eventually, she lost faith in humans and threw herself into the Kiso Sansen rivers."

"That's awful!" Soma barked.

Mina rocked on her feet. "It got worse! She came back as a malevolent ghost and started attacking travelers. The people around town tried performing exorcisms, but she kept coming back!"

Soma glanced upwards. "So, then your ancestors put this up?"

Mina nodded. "Right. We had hoped to appease her spirit, so my family gave both her and her child a gravestone." She pointed around her, showing Soma little statues scattered around the plot. "See these? They're all images of Jizo—the monk that protects children. By giving her these, my family was swearing to guard her child's spirit. After we put them up, her ghost disappeared. It wasn't like she was bad. She just wanted a place for her baby."

"That's very kind," Soma said.

"We should have done something sooner." Mina sighed, then crossed her arms. "But, that's our lesson to ourselves—to always be kind, especially to those not like us."

Scratching the back of his head, Soma lowered his eyes. Those words stung truer now than ever before. No wonder Mina had been so accepting of him after she had learned about his terrible curse. Her family had this placed into her very home. Then again—she had always been so gracious to him. It wasn't important how that gentle demeanor had got there, as far as nature versus nurture went. All that mattered was that she was a good person.

Soma looked at the statue's feet once more. He lifted an eyebrow. Laid across her toes was a sealed envelope. "Ah. What's this?"

"Is it that time of year again?" Mina laughed. She picked up the envelope, then flipped it over. "It's a donation. Our family gets one every year from this person. There's never any name or message in it. Just this stamp on the back and a clip full of yen."

Stamp, nothing. It was a full-blown wax symbol, the kind of marking that only the oldest fuddy-duddies would use. Pressed into red wax was a two-headed seal. Both heads looked canine in composition. One was thick, fluffy, teeth bared—a wolf's head. The other was sleek, ears perked, eyes almond-shaped. A fox's. It was a shame that it would eventually have to be broken. Someone had spent quite a bit of money to get something like that made.

"How much do they usually donate?" Soma asked.

Mina scrunched up her eyebrows. "Don't you think that's kind of a rude question?"

"Ah! I didn't mean it like that!" The white-haired man shrunk back.

Mina swatted him on the shoulders with the envelope. "Anyway. We've been lucky to get it for so long. Whoever's donating to us must be getting up there. It's really too generous."

Soma cocked his head. "How long have you been getting them?"

"About forty years," Mina replied. "Always this time of year, always at that statue. We never even see the donator come or go. It's like a ghost leaves it."

The young man shook his head. Almost forty years? That was odd, if it was a coincidence. That was the same time as the last major battle in a war spanning nearly a millennia. If his friends had told him right, it was supposed to be the last time that the dark lord Dracula rose from the grave. Such a strange fight resulted in Soma inheriting the legendary vampire's soul and powers upon his birth. Many people could make claims that they had the same skills, but only Soma was truly plagued with the devil's spirit.

Rumor had it that a member of the Hakuba family had aided legendary clans in sealing the dark lord's castle away. Perhaps someone was returning the favor.

A grumble interrupted his morose thoughts. Soma sighed, then slumped forward. Leave it to his stomach to throw him off. Mina giggled, trying to cover her mouth. Had it been that loud? Geez! It wasn't like he had skipped breakfast!

"I think we'd better get you something to eat," Mina smirked. "After all, it wouldn't do anyone any good if you fainted from hunger and Old Man Dracula took over your body."

"Oh, come on!" Soma sank down even further. "It doesn't work like—"

His sentence came to a thudding halt as Mina's hand jerked towards the statue. She had hardly noticed the movement until she turned her head. Buried scant millimeters above her fingertips and into her donation envelope was an arrow. Black-shafted, fletched with striped feathers, the head sharp and strong enough to pierce the statue as it buried itself into it. She let go of the letter, then pulled back. An awkward gasp squeaked from her.

Mina spun around, searching in a panic. "Where did that come from?"

There was no telling in fog that thick. Soma threw a hand in front of Mina, tucking her behind his coat. He stared, pupils contracting. There was the sound of hollow jittering. He jumped forward, racing after the sound. Gray mist parted, a slender form standing in the distance, watching with black holes beyond the fence.

"Hey!" Soma shouted. "Get back here!"

The sniping assailant didn't run. It collapsed.

Soma slowed his trot, glaring in confusion. Lying outside of the Hakuba Shrine was a pile of metal and bones. He narrowed his eyes. A skeletal monster in the middle of the town? Its front side was charred, burned by being in proximity to such a holy place. The remains sank down, then disappeared in a poof of dust. The only thing it left behind was a crappy bow and beat-up leather armor.

Mina hopped to his side. "Soma! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Looks like the shrine took care of our attacker," Soma sighed. "How about you? You had the closer call."

Mina nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. But, you should probably take a look at this."

The shrine maiden had snapped the arrow free from the statue. Tied around its shaft was a yellow note. Soma took it from her, eyes wide. What a strange, old-fashioned way to send correspondence. With a single tug, Soma pulled the red string around the message loose. He unfurled the letter. Mina was right behind him, tugging one side of the note towards her.

Both of them frowned as they read. Mina spoke out loud as she went. "Dear Soma Cruz, rightful heir of the dark lord Dracula—we wish to have an audience with you. Our order has received word of your curious powers, and we would like to aid you in the retentions of your stations between heaven and hell." She pulled back, then slapped the paper. "Can you believe this crap?"

Soma shook his head. "It's worse than junk mail."

He kept his head down, continuing to read on. It was the standard kind of crockery that he was used to seeing. Reverence to the dark lord, blah blah blah. Most beautiful cruelty, perfect reflection of nature, etcetera. Threats against his loved ones and their cats, so on and so forth. A standard threat and appeal, all rolled into one.

The last portion of the letter caught Soma's eye. "In appreciation for your cooperation, we will give you what both you and we desire most—the rebirth of your domain and your reunion with a beloved treasure thought long lost to the world. Seek consul with us, and we shall restore all that has been stolen from you. Sincerely, Keepers of the Dragon's Court."

"Well, what the heck does that mean?" Mina asked.

Soma had no idea. This was a kind of crazy way above his head. Whenever any cult took interest in him or his powers, he had only one card to play. He let Mina take hold of the note, then pulled out his cellphone. Swatting a dangling bat charm from its side, he cycled through his contact list. Hopefully, he wouldn't be calling at a bad time. If anyone had to know random facts on Dracula's garbage, it had to be that man.

A deep, gruff voice answered the phone. "Soma?"

"Julius?" Soma straightened, then clasped his hand around the phone's receiver. "Mina and I were just attacked by a skeleton archer. It left me a message. Something about wanting to give me some crap Dracula had?"

A pause on the other end of the line was followed by a long, rumbling sigh. "Got a name?"

"Keepers of the Dragon's Court," Soma replied.

"Christ, that's wordy." Julius swore. "Is Mina safe?"

Soma bobbed his head. "Yeah. She's with me." He swung his phone towards her so she could greet Julius.

"Stay with her, then." There was a shift from the other end of the phone, then another grunt. "Get inside as soon as you can. Pull up your computer and get online. We'll have to have a chat with the others."

"Just out of curiosity, how bad is this?" Soma asked.

The groaning that came from the other end of the phone gave him no confidence. "I'll let you know as soon as I figure out what in the hell they are talking about."

If Julius Belmont was anxious and confused by an erratic cult seeking Dracula's powers, then so was the one in possession of them.

* * *

Author's Note

Hi! Glad to see you made it to the end of this chapter.

So, I've been blasting through Castlevania games over the past few months. One thing that struck me about the Sorrow arc games is that, while they have the potential for a very Eastern-styled environment and roster, that potential was never really met. So, I want to try and give a more Japanese influenced Castlevania story. Can't say I'll hit it spot on-like, I completely ditched using honorifics-but I like a challenge when I see it. There was also potential for a _significant_ plot revelation involving Soma's previous incarnation and a _certain_ other character that never really came to fruition, which frustrated the hell out of me. So, I'll approach _that_ as best as I can.

Here's the deal, pal! The story's all written up. I'll post two chapters per week until all is posted. (I'm estimating the middle of March as the final posting date.) You'll get a completed story, no matter what. But, if you'd like to be a cool dude and review/share with your friends, I do appreciate it.

Ready? No? Grab yourself a bowl of beef curry, then. Then we can get to the soul stealing.


	2. Chapter 2

For as long as there had been stories passed through generations about the nefarious dark lord Dracula, there had been tales about the Belmont clan. They had served many roles—grand warriors, barbarians, noted scholars and defenders of humanity. The funny thing about legends was how no one expected them to work in the modern era. No one could have predicted that the latest in the family line was spending his time streaming melodramas in a Spartan apartment. Maybe out slaying zombies in a cemetery or tending to a library packed with thousands of books, but not having a TV series marathon.

Myths were weird—reality, weirder.

Julius grumbled, then rolled himself off the couch. The aged hunter stumbled to the TV, then shut it off and disconnected it from his computer. He pulled its lid up, then started flicking through folders and programs. He hated using the damn thing for anything more than streaming shows or archiving documents, but having a messaging program was a godsend. At least, it could spare him a ride on a plane until the situation worsened.

He sighed. It always did, whenever fanatics and Soma mixed.

Green icons flickered in front of tired eyes. Julius made his first selection. When it came to gearing up for battle, a Belmont always searched first for a Belnades. Where the men of the former packed devastating weapons, the ladies of the latter brought soul-shattering magic. They were family—literally, yes, far enough back. They always worked in lockstep. If there was a Belnades at hand, she was in the shadow of the Belmonts, always ready with a quick wit and an easy smile.

There was a small blip, then a bright greeting. "Julius! How are you doing, darling?"

"The times have been better, but I'm fine, Yoko." Julius readjusted his laptop's lid. "I'm setting up a group call. Got a few minutes to chat?"

Yoko's cheerful laugh cut through Julius' anxiety. "Let me guess—nefarious ne'er-do-wells?"

Julius smirked. He scratched his beard. "Right on target."

Another beeping cut into their conversation. Two kids were huddled together, both waving at their computer's camera. They were in a dark room, faces illuminated only by their computer's screen. They would have seemed like ghosts, if it wasn't for their happy greeting. "Konnichiwa! We're here!"

"Mina! Soma!" Yoko crossed her arms, her smile remaining. "Julius tells me you two have been getting into trouble."

Soma lowered his head. "It's not my fault that monsters keep following me around."

Julius let Yoko take crowd control while he searched for his next contact. He would be lucky if his American associate would be online. Even if Hammer was abrasive, there was just no getting around his bravado and enthusiasm for seizing opportunity. If the world would go to hell, he'd fix up an ice cream truck and drive it through apocalyptic wastelands. That optimism and his access to unusual military-grade weapons had armed all of them in the darkest of times.

There was another chirp, then grumbling. Hammer had answered the call, but he was clearly still checked out, face smashed into his pillow. "Julius? What the hell time is this?"

"Rise and shine, soldier," Yoko teased. "We might have a mission on our hands."

The sound of Yoko's voice was enough to get him going. Hammer cracked his computer open further, then sat it on his lap. It was bad enough that he slept with his machine. It was worse that all he wore to bed was pajama pants. Everyone groaned. He laughed once, then pushed the camera away from his torso. Once he was finished doing perverse muscle tricks, anyway.

"Would you mind not doing that while innocent eyes are on the line?" Julius grumbled.

Hammer chuckled. "You'd like me to do it when they're not here, Julius? I didn't think you were that kind of guy."

Julius shook his head. He had no time to deal with Hammer's sass. He scrolled through his contacts, then pulled up his final guest. As the others made small talk, he listened quietly to the ringing from his program. There was no guaranteeing that Arikado would pick up. Trying to drag him into a conversation was about as easy and enjoyable as plucking eyes from a Medusa Head.

A black screen unfurled in the messenger's window. "Julius?"

"Arikado!" Soma laughed. "You forgot to turn your camera on."

"I did not. I purposely left it off," Arikado replied.

Yoko sighed. "Now is not the time for this, honey. If I had to see Hammer's gun show, then you have to show your pretty face. It's the only thing that will purge my brain of that sight."

"Oh, come on! I look amazing!" Hammer shouted.

A protracted groan came from the darkened screen. Thin fingers pulled back from a camera's lens as Arikado came into view. He looked about as fresh as Hammer did. Half of his hair was plastered to his face, the rest snarled behind him. Given the agent's peculiar sleeping habits, it wouldn't have surprised the Belmont if he had woken up the dodgy man from a midday nap.

Arikado pushed his hair back. "What's happened?"

Mina leaned over Soma's face. "Soma and I were attacked by a skeleton archer! It left this spooky message about some cult wanting to team up with Dracula and give him a treasure!"

"An archer with a note?" Hammer scoffed. "What is this, the middle ages? Aren't there cult weirdos out there who just send text messages or emails or something?"

Arikado ignored Hammer's rant. "Who are these people?"

Soma peeked around Mina. "They called themselves the Keepers of the Dragon's Court."

"Like they could have picked a more ridiculous name. Completely lacks subtlety!" Yoko huffed.

"I'm not following," Soma said.

"Dracula is derived from an ancient word synonymous with dragon. Therefore, their pretentious name refers to you and what their perceived role is," Arikado explained. "That is to say, servants for you."

Soma bobbed his head. "Well, that explains why they want to give me a present. Julius, do you have any idea what they could be talking about?"

The vampire hunter leaned back. He lifted his laptop, then crossed his right leg beneath it. There were half a dozen magical artifacts floating out there that might interest practitioners of dark arts. Crystals, antiques, tomes, things of that nature. Very few that the lord of the vampires himself would want, but perhaps something to lure in lackeys. Of course, there were always less obvious items. Places. People.

Julius gave a low groan. "I'll have to check the family archives. Though, the Crimson Stone comes first and foremost to mind."

"The source of Dracula's power?" Arikado frowned. "I did not think such an artifact existed anymore."

"Maybe these guys made a knock-off," Yoko offered.

Soma crossed his arms, then sulked. "I don't know all that much about Dracula, but I know he would have hated a fake gift."

Arikado nodded. "He was not one for cubic zirconia."

Julius had to bite his lip. If anyone knew more about Dracula than the Belmont or Belnades family, it was Arikado. What came off as a dry joke to others was truth in disguise. Both he and Yoko shared a sigh. Neither liked dancing around the minefield that was Arikado's past, but there was little choice in the matter. There were bigger bombs that could go off, should they slip up.

Though, there were times Julius wondered if such silence was healthy—or necessary.

"I hate to be a plain Jane here, but I'm gonna go simple." Hammer scratched the side of his nose. "Could it be a weapon? Maybe an WMD?"

Mina tapped the side of her face. "That could be really bad! Though, I've never heard stories where Dracula used something like that. It's usually all roses and wine and seduction and…well…" She reached for Soma's collar, then gnawed on his neck. The young man squawked, trying to push her off of him. Yoko held a hand over her face, trying not to laugh too hard. Damned if the girl couldn't make a good point.

"We need to do a background check on these people." Julius suggested. "Perhaps look to see if they have been involved in other stalking cases or crimes."

Soma gave him a thumbs up. "Right! Let me check the national news!"

A bright idea flickered in Arikado's dark eyes. "Ah. Soma, one moment. There was an unusual incident that I heard about late last night. It may have some relationship to your new fans."

Quick clacking sent a link to all six chat participants. Each opened the article and read its contents. Loud shouting came from Hammer's computer. The American muted the video playing on the page, his face flushed in embarrassment. Everyone shook their heads, then continued reading the news story.

Soma's eyebrows rose. There was a dead body discovered outside of the Kichijoji train station. On strange, sad days, bodies would be found inside such stations as desperate people flung themselves to their deaths. But, for a body to be found outside, in such a public area? Weird. He studied censored photographs, looking for anything unusual. Considering how much blurring was on the victim's face and neck, Soma had a feeling that something awful was hidden there.

Julius pulled up from his reading. "They found saliva on the body?"

Arikado nodded. "Around the wounds on the neck and chest. There were some signs of struggle, but obviously, the victim did not make it far." The agent lowered his head. "Perhaps I am just a hammer seeing nails, but—"

"No, I'm the Hammer," the American corrected him. "And as for nails—"

Yoko rolled her eyes, blonde hair waving around her shaking head. "Not the time!"

Children. All of them. Julius coughed, getting the rambunctious group on track. "So—you're assuming it was a vampire attack, Arikado?"

"At least, it bears the hallmarks of a standard vampire attack. It's possible that a cult worshipping Dracula would murder in a similar fashion as he once did," Arikado nodded.

"We're still making a lot of speculation here," Yoko cut in. "Maybe we need to break to investigate our own things. Soma, Mina—I'll be headed right your way. Assuming you want my help, of course!"

Both the shrine maiden and the eager young man nodded. "Absolutely!"

Anywhere Yoko went, Hammer would follow. "Oh! Then I'll get packed. I'll be on the first flight out to Narita! Anything to help you all out."

Yoko lowered her eyebrows. "Right. You're so altruistic."

"I'll handle doing some research here. Once I come up with a few more items, I'll head out." Julius cracked his neck, then focused again on his laptop's camera. "Arikado? Sounds like you've got your own suspicions."

The dark-haired agent gave a single bob. "However, Soma and Mina's safety comes first. Perhaps I should head to you two. We can travel together to pick everyone up."

"You'll be on a train for a whole day!" Soma shook his head. "Go ahead and snoop around Kichijoji. That'll be way more productive. As long as you meet us at the station, we'll be fine."

Arikado narrowed his eyes. "I'd rather you didn't leave the Hakuba Shrine until an adult—"

"For crying out loud! I'm twenty-one!" Soma groaned.

That shut the agent up. Soma had ripped apart two castles and toppled all sorts of nefarious demons. Even those that had stripped Arikado of his strength fell before the young man. Perhaps he wouldn't stop being overprotective of either Soma or Mina, but at least Soma wasn't helpless. His condition was delicate, certainly, but he was not.

"Fair enough." Arikado stated. "If we are set, I'd like to get to work."

"Sounds like a plan," Julius agreed. "Everyone, keep your phones charged. Let's get this whipped."

Yoko cackled with laughter. "Look at you, old man! Already making awful puns."

Julius' face froze. "That wasn't intentional."

The group disconnected one by one. Julius let the lines close, waiting patiently for everyone to go. Soma and Mina left with warm smiles, Yoko with a blown kiss. Hammer made sure to catch it before signing off. Arikado said little. Just a quick nod and a flip. Julius rolled his head back, then waited long enough for Soma to log off. When the young man was gone, Julius double-clicked once more on Arikado's account.

The hunter was surprised that the agent hadn't dashed off the first chance he got. "Yes?"

"I need to talk with you," Julius grumbled.

"Obviously," Arikado agreed. "Something that can't be shared, I suppose."

Julius bobbed his head. He sat up, then reached for a nearby coffee table. He fetched his drink, then threw it back. Melting ice smoothed the fire from his Scotch. "I thought you'd appreciate my style. It's the way you've always operated."

Arikado pursed his lips. "What's on your mind?"

"This supposed treasure of Dracula's…" Julius shook his head. "I am not certain this is any mere trinket."

There was no reaction in Arikado's cold face. "Meaning?"

Julius sighed. "I've run across my fair share of relics that belonged to Dracula. Even some of his organs. However, if I wanted to give him a present—if I truly held him in reverence—I'd see no greater gift than his son."

Arikado became quiet. The other end of the line was still, white noise filtering between the two. The Belmont didn't know what was running through the secretive man's head. Concern, perhaps. Fear. Disbelief. There were very few times Arikado would halt dead in his tracks. When he did, it was when Dracula's shadow was hovering overhead. More than anyone else, Arikado had reason to fear Dracula's reinstated reign. If the dark lord ever returned—if he got claws on the stubborn agent once more—

"Has anyone been following you?" Julius asked.

Arikado shook his head. "No."

"Keep it that way," Julius demanded. Grimacing, he took another drink. "You know what I'm going to say next."

"Julius, don't." Arikado's hiss was barely audible through digital degradation. "He's better off not knowing."

The Belmont growled out of the left side of his mouth. "Really? Was I better off not knowing about my past? Did my amnesia spare me from anything, Arikado? I lost half my life thanks to your stupid decision to not step in and tell me the truth!"

There was a soft creak from the other side of the screen. Julius' words hit Arikado in the gut. It took him a few moments to recover from the blow. There weren't many that could deal pain to him like a Belmont could. Yet, there was nothing he could argue against. Julius had preformed a monumental feat by helping to save the world from Dracula's wrath, and he had been punished and abandoned for his efforts. That was not fair—a wound more wicked than any the dark lord had given him.

Arikado bowed his head. "You are right, Julius. I am sorry. Such is a mistake for which I cannot atone."

"You can, and you will. Listen to me." Julius growled. "Tell him the truth about you and that beast before someone else does."

A crack in Arikado's voice led to a long sigh. Julius hit a cavity in his nerves. There was really no way of telling who was right or wrong in this debate. Arikado was acting out of conservative habit, trying to protect both Soma and himself. Julius could see where he feared the kid, even if he had some guarded respect for him. Still, Julius had fought with that youth. He knew the control and strength behind Soma's spirit.

Julius pushed onward. "Don't be afraid of that boy. If Soma ever had any reason to kill us, it would have been during that last solar eclipse—when I learned who he was and attacked him. But, look! I still breathe. Didn't even get a scar."

Arikado drifted away, then nodded. "Adrian."

"Even if the kid flips out and wants to fight, I'll—" Julius' mind crashed, his jaw slow to halt. "Wait. What did you say?"

Arikado clarified himself. "Tell him about Adrian. If he can handle that much, then I'll take care of the rest."

Julius smirked. "That's fine with me." He took another drink. "I've got some old woodcuts of Adrian on file. Is that alright to share?"

"As long as you don't share Maria's work," Arikado winced. "That cheeky woman—"

"But those are the cute ones!" Julius teased.

All that earned Julius was an irritated grumble. Even in his angriest fire, no pigmentation could come to Arikado's cheeks. He blew fringe out of his face, then forced swirling black hair back once more. The Belmont chuckled at the agent's exasperation. A coffin could hide Snow White's radiance, a tower could sequester Sleeping Beauty, but no magic on Earth could completely hide the unnatural, regal substance that composed Arikado's body.

Julius finished off his drink. Warm air rushed through his nose. "I know you've got my back, Arikado. You've been there for my family. Hell, you're even making up for my lost time. Trust me. I don't wish to do you any harm."

"For that, I am thankful," Arikado nodded. "I hardly survived my encounters with Trevor and Richter. With their blood flowing in you? I shudder to think how quickly you would have me undone."

"You have got to stop picking fights with Belmonts," A wheezing laugh escaped Julius. "And women, while we're at it. Getting into a swordfight with a young lady is not a good first date."

Arikado leaned back. "It was Maria's idea. Little heartbreaker."

"I know she was. We Belmonts did keep a few interesting diaries belonging to her, after all," Julius snickered. "There was one I rather liked. Something about a trip to the French countryside and the most delicate—"

A short blip and a black screen cut off Julius before he could further torment the agent.

* * *

Author's Note

Hi again! Thanks for sticking with me and the lovely messages! I'm really surprised that there's still a need for Sorrow arc "Castlevania" stories out there. Not that I really know what's popular one way or another with this series, but I just didn't anticipate that! Here's hoping it scratches your itchy spots.

Ever think it's kind of weird that it's the not-too-distant future, and nobody in game is using cellphones or anything? I mean, there's cars and guns, so I guess that's something. Just surprised about other gaps in technology. Weird thing to bitch about in a "Castlevania" game, I suppose.

Somewhere, I just made a Sonia Belmont fan very sad. Sorry. She deserved better.


	3. Chapter 3

The couple sat together, waiting quietly as the train station filled. They had been in such a hurry to get packed and going that they had arrived way too early for their train. Soma sat back with his left ankle on his right knee, Mina leaning forward and fiddling with her phone. Now that they had time to think, Soma's thoughts were filled with little nagging questions. Did he pack his toothbrush? Did he have enough socks and underwear? Was anyone going to find the knife he stowed away?

He had to have some protection. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing at all.

A stranger waited beside the pair, standing to Soma's left. He gave her a quick glance. A foreigner. It was a little rare to see them this far into the countryside. Most of those that came so far inland were English teachers or students on exchange programs. He turned away, content to let the blonde woman be. She was probably sick of strangers staring at her all the time.

Soma checked his phone. There were a few texts from his friends. Julius was in the sky. Hammer had made it to Seattle, but was having issues getting through customs. The idiot was probably trying to smuggle out a rocket launcher again. Yoko had sent little more than an emoticon of a kiss. Arikado? Nothing. He wasn't a man to waste words.

"Where are you going?" the stranger asked.

Soma raised his head. "Kichijoji."

Mina shot Soma a look. The white-haired kid winced. Yeah, that probably wasn't a good idea to tell strangers where he was heading. He gave the stranger an awkward smile. That only earned him an elbow in the gut from Mina. Rubbing his side, Soma shrunk back. Painful, but Mina was like that. It was just her way of reminding him to behave and be wary.

The strange blonde caught onto Mina's behavior. She smiled, then walked away. Good. A crisis averted. Soma sighed, then sank down. "Sorry."

"Someone's got to watch out for you," Mina smirked.

A long, hollow whistle came down the tracks. White lights preceded an orange train. It was an old, brittle machine. More of an antique than a reliable vehicle. Few machines like the Shinkansen bullet trains reached this far out into the country. Still, as long as this train got them going, that was all that mattered.

Soma and Mina packed up their bags, then headed for the train door. Once it opened, they took their seat. Blue, covered in colored triangles. Something installed in the late eighties or early nineties. As long as they were clean, their age didn't matter. A man in a sharp navy suit waited patiently up front, watching as passengers filed in. The ticket checker, no doubt.

"Got yours?" Mina waved her ticket.

Soma reached into his coat's left pocket. As he did, his phone buzzed. His eyes widened. Another message? From who now?

Soma pulled out his phone. His bat charm swung as the phone vibrated once more. He clicked on the white envelope icon, pulling up his messages. An unfamiliar number had texted him. He grimaced, then opened the message.

It was simple, but perplexing. "I will always be yours."

"What the hell?" Soma muttered.

Mina leaned onto his shoulder. She pulled back in disgust. "Who sent that?"

Soma shook his head. "I—I don't know." He threw his right hand up in defense. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Like you're dating another girl," Mina rolled her eyes. "If you were, you'd have the contact saved on your phone. Full name, e-mail address, and a cute custom ringtone to boot."

"I don't do all of that!" Soma protested.

Mina flipped her phone to her ear, smirking. His phone buzzed, then chirped. A bright, adorable pop tune burst out of his phone. Not the kind of song a manly man would keep as a default ringtone. He blushed, then sent Mina's call to voicemail. So she had a point.

"You didn't give your number out to anyone, did you?" Mina asked.

Soma frowned. "No. Just my parents and my friends."

"Not even that cute foreign girl?" Mina teased.

That was too much for Soma. He flushed bright red. "Oh, come on! I wouldn't—"

"Tickets, please."

Both Mina and Soma stopped their banter. They produced their tickets, then shrunk down. This wasn't the place to be having a spat, anyway. There were too many ears listening in. If they were supposed to be traveling in secret, they weren't doing a very good job of it.

Mina leaned towards him again. "You should probably text Julius and the others."

Soma agreed. Most of them weren't going to get his message until their planes landed, but it didn't hurt to send one out. At the very least, Arikado had to know they were on their way, as well as when they switched trains. He finished his text, then sent it out as a group message. He sat back, smiling. Mina really did have good ideas. Maybe she wasn't going to be the best in a brawl, but at least she could push him onto the right path.

The train's announcer gave alert of their departure. Rumbling from beneath the train rolled into smooth motion. Soma and Mina watched mist unfurl from their eyes. Dark tunnels would be coming soon, followed by warmer weather and purple flowers. Maybe the trains were a little worn down and the seats unstylish, but there was nothing like traveling across Japan's countryside in a train. It was a shame that such beauty had to fly by so fast.

Another tremor took Soma out of his thoughts. It was his phone again. He unlocked it, expecting to see a terse message from Arikado. The strange number had contacted him again. He shook his head, then opened the message. Three words. From a loved one, wonderful. From a stranger, creepy.

The message read, "Eternally yours. Beth."

Soma put his phone aside. He didn't need any more of that. "Say, Mina? Can you take over texting for a while?"

"That weirdo again?" she asked.

Soma nodded. "I'll have to see if I can get the number blocked."

"Maybe Arikado can put a trace on it or something." Mina's eyes widened. She turned on her phone's networking service, then pulled up a browser. "Or maybe I can! Here! Give me the number."

Soma shared the number with her. Mina's fingers flew across the touch screen. Her eyebrows knotted. The reverse directory website she was using returned no results. She flipped to a search engine, then typed it again. Nothing. Weird. She could usually get something as simple as a service provider. What was up with this phone number?

"I don't get it. I—" was all Mina got out before his phone buzzed again.

Another message was sent. Just as short. Just as threatening. "Leave her."

Mina growled. "I don't have to put up with this." She snapped up her phone, then dialed the number. Her face flushed as she waited, the tone going on forever. Soma watched her with wide eyes. Calling up their stalker? Probably not a wise idea, but it sure was brave.

She pulled away from her phone, grumbling. "No answer. No voicemail, either."

"I didn't think they would answer," Soma sighed. "Hopefully, it's just a—"

Her phone chirped.

There was no message. Merely a photo. Both Soma and Mina reeled back. It was of them in the Hakuba Shrine, leaving with luggage in arms. Soma with an exasperated huff, Mina smiling brightly. Close and clear enough to have been taken by a good friend. The duo curled back. This was getting way too uncomfortable.

Mina shut off her phone. She leaned on Soma's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, his eyes narrowed. This was way too personal. It was okay if someone threatened him, but not Mina. He frowned, thoughts worried. Did they know about the others, too? Were they getting threats as well?

Soma hunkered down. He was starting to regret rejecting Arikado's offer.

/***/

Hundreds of people walked about Kichijoji station. Shoes clacked against cement, bags and purses rubbing softly against clothing and snagging on red bushes. The wandering crowd passed yellow and black striped police tape, noses kept to their own business. The scene had been processed. An outline of the body remained, blood flooding the profile in a sticky tide. The corpse within it was long gone.

To Arikado, its stench was overpowering.

No matter how hard he tried to adapt to human life, he couldn't lose his wicked senses. If there was a river of blood in an animal's body, he could sense it, pulsing warm beneath skin. There had been tricks he'd learned to avoid awkward questions. Wearing sunglasses in bright light, keeping away from mirrors, not consuming meat. Even if he had long-curbed his bloodlust, keen instincts made for the occasional social faux pas. People didn't appreciate him asking about their infections or ailments. Not malaria, not hepatitis—certainly not unannounced pregnancies.

Arikado rubbed the sides of his nose, trying to block the scent of blood out. He could smell cells cooking in the pavement. It was like waving a rare steak in the nose of a starving vegan. He crinkled his nose, then backed off. He couldn't bare the stench any longer. Not without his darker side waking up, growing hungry.

An announcer's voice rang from inside the train terminal. The Chuo Line had a train pulling in. Soma's, perhaps. Arikado was growing anxious. The boy had reported his departure from Nagano prefecture, but hadn't texted him since. His calls were going straight to the boy's voicemail, Mina's doing the same. If it would have done him any good, he would have followed the lines north and west and try to figure out what was wrong.

They were on a long trip. If something bad had happened—

Arikado shook his head. Worrying did him no good. He had to calm himself. He wandered towards the station, then checked the train's schedule. Dark eyes widened as he read. Soma's train was here. He glanced towards the turnstiles. It was hard to see through a wave of businessmen, all dressed from head to toe in black. There was a pop of white through the crowd. Arikado straightened his back. He was a little more relieved to see Soma than he expected to be.

Both kids bolted to his side. He shook his head. They were going to trip up the other passengers, acting like that. Still, it was hard not to feel a little warm as they approached him. Soma and Mina really made for a good pair. He was glad that they never feared him, no matter how stern or cranky he could get.

"How was your trip?" Arikado asked.

"Awful!" Mina shouted. "Well, the train was okay. But Soma and I kept getting these creepy texts from some stranger!"

Arikado tipped his head. "What did they say?"

Soma powered on his phone. The dark agent leaned over Soma's shoulder as he read his messages. Mercifully, they had stopped after he had shut off his phone. He pulled them open, then shared their contents. He looked to his elder, wondering what was going through his mind. Arikado's face remained as fixed as stone.

"Quite the flatterer," Arikado said.

Mina hissed. "Not to me! This weirdo's treating me like I'm stealing a boyfriend or something!"

"I suppose neither of you have information on this individual, other than a first name and number?" Arikado asked.

"Not a clue," Soma muttered. "I don't get it. It's not like I give my phone number away to anyone. So, who is Beth, and why does she have a picture of us?"

Arikado's ears perked. Soma wasn't correctly pronouncing the culprit's name. It was just a little idiosyncrasy in the Japanese language. His mind began making leaps. This couldn't be the culprit's true name, could it? Would someone be so foolish as to use their real name to harass others? It was unlikely that a Japanese person would take such a name as an alias, given its strange pronunciation. For someone who was raised around romance-based languages, it would be simple enough to say.

"Did you run into any strangers?" Arikado asked.

Mina's face scrunched up. "There was this blonde girl that was hitting on Soma."

"She was not!" Soma yelped.

Arikado shook his head. What a strange thing to have an argument about, especially with more concerning matters pressing. "Did she follow you?"

"No. We weren't together very long. We just talked about where we were going," Soma replied.

"And I told him that was a bad idea!" Mina butted in.

Was she bragging? Arikado closed his eyes, forcing himself not to chuckle. If the kids wanted to make it a competition about who was acting more cautiously, then he didn't mind. As long as it would keep them out of trouble. The last thing he needed was for a situation to flare up without backup from Julius and company.

"Let's keep together. Let me know if you receive another message like that." Arikado took out his phone. "Pardon me while I update the others."

Mina smirked as she watched him text. He was accurate, but not quick. No adult alive could beat young ones when it came to texting speed. "You know, they probably won't be able to get it until they land."

Soma pulled his baggage up. He nodded towards the terminal's exit. "Did you get a chance to see that crime scene?"

"There's not much of it left, but yes. I did," Arikado nodded. "If you'd like to see it—"

"Yes!" Soma backed down, realizing how creepy he sounded. "I-I mean. Assuming there's not a dead body or anything. I don't want to be insensitive."

Soma handled such gruesome sights too well. The poor child had seen too many corpses in his short life. Not to mention the hordes of the undead he waded through to save others. Arikado tucked his phone away, his mind lost in his memories. His stomach dropped at the thought of their last battle. Had it not been for Soma, he would have been swallowed whole by a living abyss.

Arikado's eyebrows lowered. Had he ever thanked the boy for saving his life?

The agent shook his head, dark curls following his motions. He led both Soma and Mina outside. "Come. It's this way."

The trio circled around the crime scene, luggage dragging behind them. Soma frowned. It was a little eerie, knowing that someone had been killed there not even twelve hours ago. Red blood turned brown and black in the sun. Arikado kept back from the scene, letting the duo make their own judgments. The stink of it was getting into his nose again, making his mouth water.

"How awful," Mina grimaced. She reached into her purse, then grabbed a tiny bottle of perfume. She took a sniff of it, trying to get the smell of blood out of her nose.

"Miss Hakuba, could I borrow that?" Arikado inquired.

The girl nodded. She tossed the perfume bottle to the agent. He pulled out the double-pointed handkerchief from his breast pocket, then unfolded it. Three spritzes into the cloth were plenty. He returned to their side, passing the bottle back. The floral scent was strong enough to keep his senses at bay.

Mina tipped her head. "That makes you sick, too?"

Arikado nodded. "In a fashion." He was quick to take the subject off of him. "What do you think?"

Soma pursed his lips. "It's too messy."

"Murder's not exactly a clean thing, Soma," Mina grumbled.

"I-I mean, from what we were thinking earlier? About this being done by a vampire?" Soma shook his head. "It wouldn't make sense for a vampire to leave this much of a mess. It would be like if I got a glass of water, then poured all of it out. I wouldn't get a drink like that!"

Arikado lifted an eyebrow. The kid was sharp. "Correct. While many vampires employ a variety of ways to drink blood, they all focus on minimizing the amount lost. That's why many of them use hypnosis or seduction to subdue their victims."

"That makes sense," Mina nodded. "So, what does that mean? Humans did this?"

Arikado agreed with her. "Most likely. In this particular case…"

In all honesty, he didn't know what to think of it. It seemed like a random attack. Not a great sacrifice. Nothing noble. Just mindless violence. He turned away from the scene, then refolded his handkerchief. They needed more time to think, more brain power. Anything he said before then was just conjecture.

"You both must be hungry." Arikado collected the two kids. "There is a restaurant in the lobby of the hotel where I am staying. Let's take your luggage, then get something to eat."

Soma nodded. "Okay. I could go for some—"

There was another rumble in his pocket. Both he and Mina groaned. He flipped his phone open, then grimaced. Arikado edged closer to the pair, curious. Soma spun his phone around. What the agent saw made him pull back in shock.

It was a photo of himself.

Subjectively, not a bad one. Well lit, good angle, calm expression, crisp resolution. It was from when he had been investigating the crime scene before. He had to break once, clearing his nose by smelling red flowers blooming from the bushes. That was when he had been caught—eyes closed, lost in thoughts. It was so well shot that it could have put portraits to shame. There was no way it could have been taken by any of his associates. Whose eye did he catch?

"Same number?" Arikado murmured.

"Yeah." Soma's shoulders dropped. "We need to go, don't we?"

Hiding was a good idea—if it was even possible.

* * *

Author's Note

The first time I rode a train was with the JR Railway. Let me tell you—learning the Tokyo Metro System? Hard mode. Thankfully, there are phone apps for scheduling trips. Man, if I lived in an area with a neat metro system like that, I don't know if I would own a car.

This section (and its following chapters) came dangerously close to getting the story named "Hotline Kichijoji." I would play that game, wouldn't you? Though, I suppose there's a lot of "Shin Megami Tensei" in this chunk, too. I really do mean to get into more of those games, as I do like the concepts in them, but I find the gameplay so tedious.

Thanks for your continued reading and support!

...I fear that I may have written Mina too tsundere. Oh, dear.


	4. Chapter 4

To foolish eyes, they must have seemed like a clique. A group of girls going out for the night, maybe visiting trendy clubs or taking a trip out to Harajuku. Dark dreams bloomed in their heads. The night they sought was eternal, unending. Dances in blood, under skies filled to burst with storm clouds, not a single star to disrupt their wonderful party. What was a single night's work compared to the immortal glory that awaited them, should they succeed?

They fell into a dilapidated house, behind rotting doors. Hardly safe for anyone to stand inside, never the less commune. The Tokyo Metropolitan Area sprawled out forever. It was burgeoning with life. If anyone wanted a scrap of land, they had to take it by force. The trio had fought hard to keep their little world safe and sound. Not that it truly mattered. There were grander places awaiting them—spiraling towers, beautiful gardens, libraries brimming with forbidden tomes, bedrooms more luxurious than those of any mortal lord's castle.

Such places were locked in the cloak of an unfading eclipse.

The trio sat down on a beaten couch. The one with tiny bone-shaped barrettes laid her phone before them on a shattered coffee table. It was ringing, on speakerphone. Four tones rang. At last, a soft voice answered their call. He spoke with unnatural smoothness. If his voice could take on form, it would roll out of the cellphone in toxic fumes.

"Girls," the man said. "Are you in position?"

"Yes," the young woman with the barrettes replied.

Green light spiraled out of the aether. It clotted the air with noxious magic. The caller closed her phone as the portal shimmered. Out stepped a middle-aged man, face round and paled by his age. He was unassuming, hair thinning but combed neatly, shoulders slight beneath a green cardigan. There was an unusual charisma in his eyes, a softness that belonged only to fathers. Sweeter still was the eerie kindness in his words, a saccharine poison.

The girls bowed in his presence, addressing him with a warm greeting. "Welcome, Master Maruki."

The cult leader smirked. He reached out one hand, patting each of their heads. "What news do you have, my ladies?"

The blonde took lead of the conversation. "Dracula's vessel was in Nagano Prefecture, as you said. Miyu's servant delivered your message."

"And?" Maruki asked.

Miyu bobbed her head, hair decorations following her movements. "It was effective."

"We scared him," the blonde explained. "He took a train to Kichijoji. I tracked him that far. He's with another young lady and an adult male."

A snicker oozed from his throat. "Here? Of all places—"

"He and his friends were very interested in a crime scene." The blonde's eyes flared as she turned her head to her companions. "A murder outside of Kichijoji Station."

The dark-eyed girl with curling hair grumbled. "We needed his blood. I'd hate to end up looking like an old hag. If it's what my true self would want to bathe in, why should I deny her?"

Maruki grumbled. Gray eyes went green with irritation, magic seeking to seep out. "Chika. Your pride will cost you yet. There's no guarantee—"

"Who else could I possibly be?" Chika interrupted her superior. "You showed me the paintings yourself. My body, my powers—something of mine is from her. I won't shame Carmilla's name by being less than she is."

To a normal person, it was a strange, incomprehensible statement. To those versed in black magic? Blasphemy. It wasn't unheard of for reincarnations to exist, particularly those of powerful magicians. That particular name belonged to a monster of overwhelming power and beauty. Hers was a soft, long-nailed hand well known within Dracula's company, nearly rivaling Death himself as his aid. Any evil sorceress would be proud to bear such as soul—to lie for that honor and the respect it brought.

The cult leader bopped Chika on the end of her nose with a pointed finger. "I have made no promise of anything, Chika. You very well may be her vessel. We shall not know. Not until Dracula rises again and calls for his court."

"Until then, I will do what pleases both of us," Chika replied.

Miyu broke into their argument. "Have you summoned more of Dracula's forces?"

"The waters of the Sanzu River are plentiful, but filled with the souls of weak men." Bones cracked as Maruki popped his shoulders. "I am in need of harvest."

The blonde girl leaned towards their leader. "Mister Maruki. May I offer an option?"

"Yes, my dear Beth," Maruki wheezed.

"The one with Dracula's soul—this Soma—we must separate him from his friends." Beth brushed her hair back. "If you need to get more men, perhaps you will find the people in Kichijoji suitable. Create enough chaos, and you'll be able to lure Soma out. Have your new soldiers kill his companions, take him away, complete the ritual, and Dracula returns."

A small breath built into sleek laughter. "So eager, are you?"

The blonde pulled away. "If a world under his rule is as wonderful as you say—then yes."

"That's my girl." He clapped his hands. "Let me see your pictures. I am eager to know of our lord's little friends."

Beth retrieved her phone. She scrolled through her photo gallery. The first photo she shared was that of Soma and Mina running out of the shrine. She raised the image to their leader's face. Thin lips parted, his smile shining from the phone's light. It was so cute, seeing these humans frolic. To think that his master could be in the form of such an energetic youth. And this girl that accompanied him…

"What a charming young lady," Maruki hummed.

"Her name is Mina. She is at least a miko for the Hakuba Shrine, if not a daughter of its tenants," Beth agreed. "Brave, for a normal girl. She even had the gall to call me."

Chika narrowed her eyes. "And how did she get your number?" Her voice became graveled, irritated. "You didn't try contacting Soma again, did you? And you guys think I'm being cocky."

"I had to see if my information was correct," Beth shrugged. Warmth was in her wicked smile. "It was, by the way."

Maruki chastised the blonde. "Beth, behave yourself. Lure, don't chase." He flipped to the next image. Eyes glimmered at such a handsome picture. "Speaking of which—who is this catch?"

"One of my spies captured this one for me," Beth explained. "I heard our lord speak to him after the trip. Arikado. Not quite a normal name, is it?"

Chika scrunched up her nose. "What would you know about Japanese names, anyway? Gaijin."

Low rumbling settled in Maruki's chest. A laugh as ethereal and light as mist crawled from his mouth. Both Chika and Beth narrowed their eyes. Miyu remained pensive, fussing with an uneven barrette. What was so funny about that name? It sounded odd, and its meaning was peculiar, but that shouldn't have been hilarious enough to earn so much as a snicker.

"We have more investigating to do," Maruki laughed. He addressed Beth once more. "Do you know where these three are?"

Beth nodded. "There's a hotel not too far from here. Extravagant beyond compare. You can't miss it."

"Then, put out eyes in the sky. Monitor the situation. Keep post here." Maruki gave his girls a kind smile. "Miyu? Chika? Would you lovely ladies do me the favor of capturing the bearer of our master's soul?"

Chika cracked her knuckles. "It would be my pleasure." She shot Beth a dark glare. "Since I have useful magic powers and all. I might as well use them."

Miyu cut her companion's prodding short. "I should be able to call some forces. Could you send more as backup?"

The cult leader laughed. "Two armies against Dracula? That I can provide." He pulled himself upright, then disciplined the girls. "We cannot get cocky with this Soma Cruz character. He has already toppled cults of greater power and renown than our own. If we are to reinstate Dracula's rule, we must take every precaution while capturing him. No internal quarreling. Understood?"

The threat wasn't for Miyu. She was easy-going, quiet. His barbs were directed towards Beth and Chika. The two cats were always clawing for attention. Vanity or envy for each other, perhaps. All three had such wonderful fates awaiting them. If they could only cooperate, they would earn their rightful seat in Dracula's kingdom, bearing vibrant power.

When the three ladies nodded, Maruki smirked. "That's my girls. Now, let's collect our master."

/***/

Night fell long before anyone was due to arrive. Mina and Soma were tuckered out, worn down from running so far from home. They slept cuddled in a queen-sized bed, fingers laced together. Green and red lights from the streets below glowed across their legs. The blinds should have been fully shut to give them the best protection. A black guardian watched over them, eyes drifting between the two kids and the snarl of modern life outside.

Arikado couldn't sleep. Not before Julius or Yoko were at his side.

The agent had spent centuries asleep. Being awake for a little longer than usual didn't bother him. There were other gremlins to worry about. Soma and Mina's phones were compromised. So, off they went. Homicidal maniacs were on the streets, looking for blood to draw. The doors were locked. Arikado stayed awake.

Eyes as dark as the midnight sky drifted over the city. How much the world had changed. There was so much light in the night, so many little machines rushing about. It hadn't been that long ago that Arikado was amazed for humanity's implementation of plumbing. And now, all of this! People went everywhere, out to get drinks and have a good time, fearless of what could prowl around corners and in shadows. Talking with each other over thousands of miles on phones. Flying through the air. Playing on computers. All like magic.

Blue light burst from his phone. Arikado picked it up. The tension in his shoulders eased. Yoko had landed. It wouldn't be too much longer before Julius and Hammer arrived. He smiled, then texted the kind witch back.

There was a groan from the bed. "Who was that?"

"Yoko." Arikado nodded towards the bed. "Go back to sleep, Soma."

The groggy young man snuggled into his pillow. "Wake me up when she gets here."

"I will," Arikado promised.

Even if Yoko came right to the hotel, it would take her hours. Knowing the Belnades, she was going to stay put until she could collect Hammer and Julius. No one amongst their group knew the Tokyo Metropolitan Area quite as well as she did, save for perhaps Arikado himself. She would need to translate for them, make sure they stayed on the right path. She had her guarding to do, and he had his.

Arikado should have been frightened. Every minute that the vampire hunters got closer to Soma was one last moment of secrecy lost. He could no longer hide behind a mask and cloak. Yet, his anxiety was fading. It was foolish to fear Soma, the gentle kid stroking his friend's hands as she slept. Perhaps the monster within, but not the diamond shell that caged him.

Soma wouldn't hate who Arikado was. He'd tolerated the agent's nagging, saved his life. He wasn't going to let something like the truth shatter him. The reality of what Soma was felt so much greater than what Arikado hid. The kid was brave, good. Maybe it would be all right.

Black eyes glanced out the window. A massive one stared back.

Arikado's heart was in his throat, pulsing beneath the knot of his tie. The creature outside drilled through him with its intense gaze. Its brown iris flared red. Electricity crackled from the nerves trailing behind it. There was a snap, then the window burst open as the bulging eyeball monster cracked its tail at the vigilant agent.

Soma's head snapped up. "Arikado!"

The agent ducked beneath his knocked-over chair. He flicked out his right hand. Metal sprang from it. Plates fused into a sword, snapping together with elegant machinations. Arikado backed up, then leapt forward. His blade pierced white flesh. The creature reeled back, blood and gunk oozing down.

Soma jumped from the bed. Metal caught light as he drew his knife. He stood alongside Arikado, prepared to make a defensive strike. Even with the eye charging at them, electricity crackling all over its body, they did not move. One gouge stopped it flat in midair. Another slash split the monster in two. It melted at their feet, then burned away, taken back to the hell from which it spawned.

Mina crawled to the edge of the bed. "Soma! Arikado! Are you two okay?"

"Yeah. We're fine." Soma put his knife away. "Nice sword!"

Arikado took a deep breath, then blew away his tension. "Thank you. I spent quite a bit of time building it."

Soma's eyes widened. "You make weapons?"

"Everyone has hobbies." Arikado shrugged off the question. He focused on the shattered window. "I suppose your tormentors sent that little surprise after you."

"I guess. Man, we're lucky you were there." Soma's shoulders dropped. "If Mina and I had been asleep and it got us—"

Arikado shook his head. "You are more than capable of protecting both yourself and Mina." He grimaced, then huffed in frustration. "It is foolish to stay here any longer."

"Where are we going to go?" Mina asked. She rocked back on her heels. "Are we sure there aren't more monsters waiting for us outside?"

Two very good questions. Both Soma and Arikado glanced at each other. Neither had a quick answer. Arikado frowned, then grabbed his cellphone. Whatever they did, they had to make sure Yoko knew. The crafty witch was their nearest ally. If they lost contact with her, they would be crushed by the sheer crowds of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area alone—never the less, the monsters now in their ranks.

Arikado's face relaxed as Yoko answered. "Arikado?"

"Yoko. We were attacked." Arikado's words were clipped, urgent.

A soft sigh made his cellphone rumble with the sound. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

Soma leaned towards Arikado's phone. He shouted from the other side. "We're okay!" He reeled back as he realized that he had more or less just yelled in Arikado's ear. Not to mention the personal space violation.

"How much longer until Julius and Hammer arrive?" Arikado asked.

"Juilus should be on the ground any minute. Hammer's plane should be here within the hour." Another exasperated murmur escaped Yoko. "The earliest I can get to you is probably two hours from now. That's assuming Hammer doesn't have another disaster in customs."

Arikado's eyebrows pinched down. That wasn't soon enough. The enemy knew where they were sleeping. Any magic he could use would gain too much attention. Housekeeping was going to be knocking on their door any minute to see what that noise was. He looked over both Soma and Mina. They needed more help than one man could provide.

They needed Yoko. Julius. God save them, but Hammer too. Maybe even the entire damn agency that Arikado worked under.

"I'm getting them onto the trains," Arikado said. "We should be able to make it to Narita in an hour and a half."

Yoko shot that down. "Don't go leading demons to an international airport! Don't you know what kind of chaos that will cause? Not to mention what monsters could do to the railway system. I mean, you remember those sarin attacks. You know what even humans can do!"

Arikado shook his head. "I can't keep them here, Yoko. Our position has been compromised."

"We'll just have to find another place!" Mina began rattling off ideas. "A theater has no windows, so we could hide from those big eye monsters there. And demons can't cross into sacred ground, right? We could go into the nearest temple!"

A shrine. Perfect. Arikado nodded. "Thank you, Miss Hakuba. Yoko, did you catch that?"

"Taking sanctuary. Got it." Yoko urged the agent on. "Call me when you're hunkered down. Try not to cause too much of a scene, okay?"

The phone went silent. Tucking it away, the agent nodded at the kids. Both bobbed back. They grabbed what they absolutely needed. There was no telling if they would make it back to the hotel room. Arikado retracted his sword's blade, then tapped on Soma's shoulder. The young man's eyes widened as a heavy hilt dropped into his hands.

"Use this," Arikado ordered.

"A-are you sure?" Soma stammered.

A thin smirk escaped the agent. "Unless you don't find it acceptable."

Soma studied the collapsible sword. He pointed it away from his companions, then experimented with the releasing trigger. It took considerable pressure for the blade to spring out. Twenty-four pieces melded together into one solid sword. He clicked its trigger again, wrists jerked back by the strength of the blade folding back. This was definitely an impressive weapon. He would be a fool not to take it.

"Long as you'll be okay without it," Soma nodded.

Arikado echoed his gesture. "Don't you worry about that. Just take care of Miss Hakuba."

"Yeah!" Mina elbowed Soma in the gut. "Like, maybe give her a weapon, too!"

Soma flinched. It wouldn't do them any good if Mina got into trouble. At least Arikado had his black magic. Mina would be little more than a porcelain doll without some help. Soma blushed, then passed his knife to Mina. It wasn't much, but it was better than absolutely nothing.

"Don't go chasing after anything, though. Just let Arikado and me take care of things, if we run into trouble," Soma said.

"Got it," Mina agreed.

The trio rushed out of the hotel room, weapons tucked away. They took the stairs. Arikado tossed Mina his phone, letting the girl work out their path as he and Soma kept watch for more enemies. So far, so good. Perhaps monsters weren't as rude as to disturb other guests in a five-star hotel.

Arikado sighed. He was going to get charged terribly for the damage to their room.

Mina's spirits lifted. "Okay. There are three shrines in Inokashira Park! We should be able to hide out there."

"You mean, the park cursed by Benzaiten?" Soma asked. "The place where they found that architect cut up into dozens of pieces?"

"Do you want a shrine or not?" Mina huffed.

An oath slipped out of Arikado's teeth. "God, spare me."

If such a deity heard his prayers, he was not feeling merciful. The trio skidded to a halt in the hotel's lobby. Swarmed beyond glass doors were hundreds of green eyes. People stood in stooped positions, hunched in sharp uniforms and suits. Some drooled. One gnashed its teeth. All watched the frightened companions huddled inside.

Soma looked at Arikado. "Back door?"

"Back door," Arikado agreed.

* * *

Author's Note

I really should have talked more about Japanese culture and history with this story. Sometimes, it's hard to communicate historical events or culture without sounding like a harping teacher. If you'd like to do a little reading on your own, topics referenced in this chapter include the Inokashira Park dismemberment incident, the 1995 Tokyo Subway sarin attacks, and Benzaiten (a Hindu goddess incorporated into Shinto).

You should always take an opportunity to learn! Educational materials won't always be thrown at you. In life, you've got to be your own Ms. Frizzle. Just make sure to use a private browser window or a safe search when you do. ...What was that about me worrying about sounding like a screeching teacher, again?

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Confused citizens swore as three people ran past them. They screamed at what followed the hapless runners.

Even blessed with ghoulish powers, Soma had no desire to face a zombie apocalypse. He wasn't sure that was what was chasing him and his friends, but he had no other name for what the army behind him was. His pursuers weren't rotting. They hardly looked different from any other human being, save for their glowing eyes. If Arikado wasn't wasting time fighting them, then neither would he. They had to get to safety. If for no one else, then at least for Mina.

She pointed towards a nearby tangle of dark foliage. "There!"

What would have been romantic in the light was dreadful under a dark sky. Black water shimmered from park lights. Swan boats were tied to docks, big eyes too bright and eerie this late at night. Trees groaned in the wind. So did those wandering the park late at night. The chaos in Soma's shadow was unbelievable, a complete ruckus.

Mina took lead. "Follow me!"

"Miss Hakuba!" Arikado's call went unacknowledged. The agent grumbled. The last thing he needed was for these two kids to run off. It was hard enough protecting them when they had the element of surprise. Now, it was a full blown mess. People were screaming all around them, at the hordes on the ground and in the air. Arikado grimaced. More eyes were wandering the sky. As if there weren't enough haunting ones trailing them as it was.

The young lady words went as fast as her legs. "See that huge red shrine? That's where we're going. Just follow me, and—"

Her sentence was lost behind a massive roar. Not demonic. Animal. All three glanced around. What in the hell was that noise?

"Was that an elephant?" Soma asked.

"There's a zoo around here!" Mina exclaimed. "We really should come back here some time, Soma! It could be really fun!"

Soma shook his head. "Right. Until we get cursed and break up!"

Arikado jerked to attention. "Wait—are you two officially a couple now?"

"No!" both Soma and Mina shouted.

The agent couldn't believe them. Why were they bickering about something so small at a time like this? He looked over his shoulder, then grumbled. That crowd of green-eyed men was still following them. Stumbling into the lake and over ducks, yes, but keeping onto their heels. Never mind why—how could the kids talk so much while running for their lives? He hardly had time to keep his thoughts straight.

They were steps away from the shrine. Its doors were bolted shut. Not a huge problem. Locks worked against most humans, but a little magic would have the door popped open in no time. Arikado bounded up the shrine's steps, then extended his right hand. Fire leapt from his fingers. It struck the lock. Metal from weak links blasted free. He yanked both young adults inside. The doors slammed shut once more as their pursuers rushed after them.

"Hold the doors!" Arikado ordered.

Soma and Mina braced them. Power bounded in Arikado's arms. He raised his hands, then pushed forward. Dark magic fought against the shrine's divine blessings. It seeped up the doors, spreading around the walls. His barrier crackled. Another pulse flashed, and it held. Both kids fell back as the spell took effect. Finally, the doors stopped buckling.

Gasping, Soma groaned in denial. "I thought shrines were supposed to keep evil jerks out!"

"They're not evil," Arikado corrected Soma. "They're hypnotized."

Neither Soma nor Mina could believe him. In unison, they gawked. "What?"

"I'm certain I've seen this magic before. Though, it was very long ago." Arikado put a hand to his head. The shrine's divine forces were messing with his cursed blood. A low level of sickness settled in his skull. "Had it not been for those glasses…"

"What are you talking about?" Soma asked.

The agent's head throbbed. "My apologies, Soma. I need to think."

Soma let up. He had other things to worry about. He faced the door, sword drawn. The barrier surrounding them was holding, but he didn't know how long it would last. It was practically a signal flare for any devil hunting after the trio. They might as well have put up a flashing sign with an arrow pointing directly at the shrine. No matter how bad this got, he needed to keep his wits up. Mina's life was counting on it. How he wished she would have stayed home, that she could be someplace safe.

Perhaps there was no better place for his friends than in his shadow.

"I'll call Yoko." Mina pulled out Arikado's cellphone. "I mean, I'm assuming that's okay."

Arikado nodded. "Go ahead."

It wasn't five seconds later that Mina had Yoko on the line. "Yoko, it's Mina! We're okay! We made it to the Benzaiten Shrine!"

"Oh, man. As if it wasn't bad enough we had to be in her cursed park. Now we're invading her shrine, too?" Soma sighed.

Yoko didn't hear Soma's complaints. She kept on point. "That's great! Did anyone follow you?"

"Um, there are a lot of weird people at the doors." Mina paced back and forth across wooden boards as she relayed information. "I thought they were zombies or something, but Arikado thinks they might be under a spell. He said that he's seen this before."

"Let me speak with him," Yoko said.

Mina passed the phone back to Arikado. He flipped it upright, then clarified his thoughts. "Remember the notes on Richter?"

"You're kidding, right?" Yoko hissed. "Julius is going to have a fit! Who in the hell—"

"I have no clues as to who cast such a spell." Arikado cut Yoko's griping short. "Do you have something to combat this? I don't want to harm civilians."

Yoko gave a short whine. "No. But, I'm sure Julius does. You know how paranoid his family got after Richter's incident."

"Very well," Arikado nodded. "I'm going to put in a word with The Agency."

"Do you think that's wise?" Yoko asked.

Arikado backed away from the shrine's barrier. "This is a public incident, Yoko. I have to step in before someone gets hurt. At the very least, they may be able to provide additional support."

"Fine. Okay. Do what you've got to do." Yoko's consent came only out of necessity. "Just keep the kids safe, alright?"

All three shuddered as thumping pounded against Arikado's barriers. The agent sighed, then ended the call. Easier said than done. This was no place to make a long stand. His magic couldn't hold out forever. The holy power of the shrine was eating it away. The walls would be torn apart as soon as his barrier fell. If they didn't get help, all he could hope to do was carve a path through the hypnotized men. He had no appetite for such a vulgar option.

The darkness was getting to be too much for Mina. She wandered the shrine, searching for anything to light. She paused to wash her hands in a fountain. It had been rude of her to enter the shrine without cleaning her hands. Spicy scents drew her to an altar. Sitting atop slabs of stone were waxy, melted hunks of candles. That would do. She cracked one off, then crept her way to Arikado's side. He looked at her with too much sharpness, a clarity that humans didn't have in complete darkness.

"Here," Mina demanded. "Light this."

Arikado pinched his fingers on the candle's wick. Fire took hold. Mina placed the waxy mess onto the floor. Soma backed away from the door. He sat with his friend, content to hunker around even the simplest of lights.

A new warmth flushed through him, thought it didn't come from the candle. Embers danced in Mina's eyes. Orange light rippled across her hair and face. She was in her element here, peaceful even under duress. Benzaiten was a wise goddess, even if she did get a little jealous. Surely, she would not let one bound to protecting shrines perish within her home. How glad he was to have Mina here, to have her providing intercession for the agent with dark powers and the young man cursed with Dracula's soul.

The sounds of hammering and pounding faded as Soma's tension melted.

/***/

Ice cubes rattled when the plane bumped onto the runway. Weathered hands threw back the last of the drink's contents. They reached into a beaten duster, fishing out an old fossil of a cellphone. With a single flick, the phone powered on. A grizzled face and long hair reflected from its smudged surface. Eagle eyes watched with intense pressure as messages flooded into his phone.

"Ten messages?" Julius shook his head. "Damn kids text way too much."

He flipped through them as his plane rolled towards an open terminal, starting from the bottom. Soma leaving Nagano with Mina. The pair arriving in Kichijoji. The duo having to shut their phones down due to a stalker. A photo of some fine dining. Yoko fretting. Arikado giving updates, then more reasons for Yoko to worry.

Julius sighed, then tucked his phone away. He couldn't waste any more time in this damn plane. As soon as it stopped, he jumped out of his seat. The flight made sturdy legs antsy. At least he had gotten a good nap out of all of this. He opened the luggage compartment above his head, then pulled out his carry-on. Once the noisy kids and honeymooners got out of his way, he strolled into the airport.

A small smile escaped him. There was a familiar friend waiting for him in the gate's seats, long legs crossed as she fiddled with her phone.

"Julius!" Yoko hopped out of her seat, then hugged the cantankerous old man. "Our kids have been busy."

"Sounds like it." A low growl escaped Julius. "What's the latest news you've received?"

Yoko spun the tip of her boot into the ground. "Well…they had dinner, went to rest for a bit, and then got attacked by a giant eyeball and a couple hundred men."

"What?!" Julius roared.

Yoko struggled to settle the agitated Belmont down. "They're taking shelter in a shrine. Arikado's looking into getting some support from The Agency."

Julius shook his head. "I've got to get to them. Now."

"Hold your horses!" Yoko grabbed Julius by one of his arms. She could feel the tension of his muscles through his coat. "Look, this is a special case. Before you go running off, I need to know you're prepared. Did you bring any holy glasses?"

Julius stopped flat. "You're joking."

Yoko raised her hands. "Arikado's question, not mine."

Julius crossed his arms, then gave a low grunt. "My family never goes anywhere without them. Not since the fiasco with Richter."

"That's why I always pack a little un-petrifaction potion. Can't wind up like Super Great Grandma Sypha and hope that a handsome man will always come to my rescue." Yoko batted her eyes. "Though, so far, so good. I mean, it's not every day a girl wakes up to a tall, dark and handsome man stitching her stab wound shut."

Julius shook his head. "You'll be lucky if Hammer isn't the one saving your ass the next time you get into trouble."

Yoko pulled a sour face. That finally got a chuckle out of Julius. The pair looked behind them, then got out of the line of traffic. It wouldn't be long until Julius would have to pick up his luggage. Customs would be another snarl. Then, they'd have to wait for Hammer to do the same. For a pair with friends in trouble, this was disastrous. They needed to get on the move as soon as possible.

"If any of us would know what such vile hypnotism would look like, it would be Arikado," Julius huffed. "Damned that such magic still exists."

Yoko rubbed her left cheek. "I can't bear the thought of any of them being someone's puppet. I mean, it would be a complete disaster if we lost Soma. But, Mina's so cute and sweet. Arikado saved my life, so I owe him one. If anything happens to any of them—"

"Then we had best hurry," Julius agreed. "Let's check the flight schedule, find Hammer's plane, then get my luggage. We can check in with them again after we get our affairs in order."

"I could use a good, long phone call right about now," Yoko sighed.

Julius bit his lip. "If I had put such words in your mouth, you'd call me sexist."

Yoko blew a raspberry at him. "Glad you know how it works!"

The pair stopped in front of a black electronic messaging board. All colors of text flew across it. It was surprising how many flights were coming in this late at night. Most were headed from Seoul and Beijing. A couple of them were coming from the Americas. Mostly, the west coast. They scanned the board, looking for Hammer's flight from Seattle.

Yoko's eyes narrowed. "What? Where's his flight?"

"Where's whose flight?"

Both Julius and Yoko jolted. They turned around, then glared. Standing behind them was the son of a gun that they were looking for on the board. Julius rolled his eyes. Yoko wasn't nearly as kind. She reached out, then swatted Hammer's left arm.

"Where have you been, you jerk?" Yoko seethed. "Or, how are you even here? I thought your plane was going to be another couple of hours!"

Hammer scratched the top of his head. "I…err…got the time zones wrong."

Deep breaths kept both legendary vampire hunters from whacking Hammer upside the head. This wasn't the fight they needed to have right now. Everyone was on the ground. They could go to Soma's aid. That was the important thing. They could chastise Hammer's inability to adjust to life outside of his chunk of the world later.

Yoko yanked the strong American forward. "Look. We need to get your garbage and get out. Soma's in trouble! We've got to help him!"

"Say no more!" Hammer nodded. "I'll do anything for my number one customer!"

Julius stroked his beard. "Speaking of which—you did pack something strong, didn't you?"

"Nothing that would have made my great uncle proud, but enough." Hammer rambled on, unfazed by his long flight. "You should have met the man. He went everywhere in the world, with nothing but his guns and a huge, smelly trench coat. He had the best laugh, too. It sounded like a smoker coughing up a hairball. Not pretty, but it suited him."

Yoko was not amused. "Charming."

"Say what you want, but that man taught me how to pack an attaché case." Hammer waggled his carry-on.

Now, Julius was overwhelmed. "Don't tell me you hid guns onto the plane."

Hammer kept silent.

"How, even?" Julius asked.

"Like I said! My great uncle was a talented guy." Hammer shrugged his shoulders. He nudged Julius, laughing. "Come on, old man! You can take them in checked luggage. You didn't think I'd actually carry a gun on the plane, did you?"

Yoko buried her face in her hands. "We're never going to leave this airport, are we?"

/***/

Beth had given them the call. Though, really, she hadn't needed to waste her breath with such obvious intel. After all, it was hard not to notice the glowing shrine in the night. Of course, the growling men surrounding it were also a dead giveaway that something was up.

Cunning eyes studied the building. Even for young magicians like themselves, they could tell a few details about the spell surrounding the shrine. It snapped against the shrine's surface, hissing at its touch. Probably magic of darkness, then. Something that would fight the holy power coursing through shrines. When brainwashed men struck it, it did them no harm. They couldn't break through it, either. So, it was a passive barrier. Odd, for someone with dark powers to cast. Most magicians blessed with devil's magic used such power to make thorny walls, raise the dead, crush and burn. Not just to create idle shields.

Chika thrust her hips to the left. "Well?"

"I don't see how we're going to break this," Miyu speculated. "Until the caster runs out of magic, the barrier will keep us out."

"I'm not sitting in a damn park all night!" Chika snorted. "Let's get down to it—there's only one of us that might be able to get in there, and that's the old man."

Miyu contemplated the idea. She nodded. "Fair idea. His teleportation ability should work."

Chika reached for her phone. Flipping it around like a gunslinger from a time far gone, she dialed her master's number. When he connected, a sharp smile broke her red lips. "Boss? You're going to love what we found."

"Don't toy with an old man's heart," Maruki laughed. "What is it?"

"Our dear friend Soma has locked himself inside a shrine in Inokashira Park. Behind a magic barrier and everything." She rocked her head back and forth, singing with the news. "We can't get to him, but I'm sure someone as big and tough as you can do it."

Maruki gave a low grumble. "I hate doing your job for you girls."

Chika batted her eyes, as if she could seduce a man who couldn't see her flirtatious moves. "You know you're going to like this. Really, we're doing you a favor by giving you the honor of taking him! Think how impressed our master will be, once you wake him!"

That finally earned her a chuckle. "How can I say no to such an offer from my sweethearts?" He cleared his throat. "Very well. Leave them to me. No more slacking off, you hear?"

"Promise," Chika smirked.

With another twirl, she snapped her phone away. Miyu smirked at Chika's gloating smile. They looked towards the shrine, waiting for a sign of movement from their master. So they had a job to do. That didn't mean they had to miss the show. If anything, that was going to be the most fun they'd have all night.

They huddled together, waiting for a flash of green to light up the red shrine like a lantern for the damned.

* * *

Author's Note

Is it that time again? Oh, dear. Really don't have much to say, but thank you for continuing to read!

I beat "Devil May Cry 3" last night, so my brain and hands are pretty numb at the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Mina's hands were shaking.

Soma knew the fear she was feeling. Those men trapping them inside made him uneasy, too. It wasn't even their fault. They were under some kind of whacky spell. How were they supposed to have any choice in the matter? He moved to her side, then took her fingers between his. Keeping her hands warm always calmed her down. It was a shame the tiny candle they were huddled around wasn't enough to ease her chills.

"Just a little longer," Soma promised.

"Indeed." Arikado tucked his phone away. "The Agency has been alerted. We should get support within half an hour. If they can't help us, then certainly Julius and Yoko will, once they are in range."

Mina shivered. "What about these people? Can we fix them, or at least get them to go away?"

Arikado had no clear answer for her. "Either way—something will change. We won't be here forever."

"I hate feeling this helpless," Mina sighed. "At least I can count on you two."

Soma gave her a smile. "Don't count yourself out. It's scary now, but when you make it through something like this, you get stronger. You'll be as tough as Arikado and me in no time."

"Don't be so cocky," Arikado scolded Soma. "That only tempts fate."

"What's the difference between being cocky and being confident?" Soma teased back. "Besides, as long as your barrier holds, nothing can—"

Belching green fire cut Soma's courage short.

A magic spiral leapt out of the candle. Soma and Mina crawled backwards, scraping their elbows. Arikado held his ground. He stomped on the candle, hoping to snuff the spell out. It did no good. Green fumes swelled around him. There was a sharp flash, then forces blasted Arikado aside. The agent slammed against the pilfered altar.

"Arikado!" Soma panicked.

More spilled from the whirling fog. Emerald orbs flew across the shrine. They moved with intense speed, whipping around the hapless trio. One struck Soma in the forehead. He reeled back, then lost his footing. When he realized that he wasn't falling, he gasped. The sphere drew him upwards, throbbing with power, pressure from within seeping into his brain.

His body went slack. All he had power over was his head. There was a shriek from Mina as she was strung up in the same fashion. A strangled groan escaped Arikado. Soma lifted his head, trying anything to get the rest of his body to move. He couldn't let himself be overtaken! More than that, he couldn't let anyone hurt his friends!

There was a dark laugh from the portal. "Come here. We need to talk."

Soma was pulled forward, yanked like a toy on a string. A finger twirled just behind his knees. The orb spun him around. His captor's eyes widened, membranes shining with glee. Soma's gut sank. No stranger was ever that happy to see him unless they wanted something out of him.

"Leave him alone!" Mina yelled.

The sorcerer with cheerful eyes grinned at the fiery girl. He pointed at her sphere, then drew his finger up. Another flick of his fingers sent the sphere spinning. It throbbed with power, then disappeared. She went silent, still. Soma stared at her, terrified. There was no sign of consciousness or higher thought from her. Her face was slack, eyes empty.

Then, glowing green.

"You bastard!" Soma's temper flared. "Let her go!"

Insincere lips parted, a serpent's smile creeping across his face. "In time. Now, if I may—"

White magic cut off his speech. Four spirits pushed the wizard back. He flew through the swirling fumes of his portal. One more blast shattered the globe holding Soma captive. He tumbled to the ground. With a heave, he got himself onto his knees, looking for the source of the spell. Fingers glowing with bright power fell as Arikado's strength waned. There was a flash of emerald lightning, and the agent went slack. The spell that had ensnared Mina fought to take root in his head, crackling with sparks. Arikado's mind was still fighting, even when his body had gone numb.

The sorcerer sneered at Arikado. "Aren't you a stubborn one?" He swiveled around, ignoring the agent's choking. "Now. Back to requesting your aid, your majesty."

Soma's eyes narrowed. Your majesty? There was only one time anyone ever tried talking to him like that. It was when someone else wanted the other guy. The lord of darkness and blood. The big D. He was sick of Dracula's spirit always attracting unwanted attention.

The white-haired kid frowned. Was this guy seriously expecting Dracula to pop out and say hello? If so, he could use that for his advantage. Soma lowered his voice, then growled. "And you think you will have it, using these tricks on me? You insult me."

"What a clever ruse!" The sorcerer extended his fingers. "Let's try this again."

Three more balls spun out of his attacker's sleeves. Soma drew his blade. There was no way he'd fall for that again. One bolted for his face. He slashed, cutting it into two perfect parts. Another came, and he did the same, cutting vertically. The last one was a compete joke. He caught it with his left hand. With a single squeeze, he crushed it into shards.

The wizard pulled back, ready to cast another spell upon Soma. The kid stopped him with brutal force. He burst forward, tackling the wizard into the ground. His assailant fought back, squawking with surprise. Soma couldn't let him strike again. He pressed the hilt of his blade onto the sorcerer's trachea, letting the man struggle. Submission came with a sigh and a laugh. "You really do live up to your reputation, Soma."

Soma held a stern, cruel face. It wasn't enjoyable to act like the monster inside of him, but given Mina and Arikado's condition, he had no choice but to get mean. "Who are you? Why are you looking to awaken Dracula?"

"I am an old body seeking an older spirit," the wizard chuckled. "I seek the same blessings you have been given—the awakening of my true persona and the recreation of your kingdom. You saw for yourself the splendor of Dracula's fallen home. Wouldn't you like to have that again?"

"Why should I?" Soma shook his head. "I've got a nice life here. Cute friends. Cool place to live. Why would I want to spend any more time in an old castle, ordering ghouls like you around?"

The sorcerer couldn't understand Soma's logic. "Don't you want our gift? Our family? What about power? Control over the world? There are few who could do it better than you, Soma."

Soma shook his head. "I want two things—your name, and for you to let my friends go!"

"My girls call me Maruki. It is not my birth name. Merely, it's a pact to the spirit destined to dwell within me. This body is his, and I will take care of it until I can give it to him," Maruki rolled his head, smiling. "As for your friends—"

There was a buckle from the shrine's doors. Soma glanced back. Black magic was beginning to fail. Arikado wasn't holding the barrier in check. He wasn't as far gone as Mina, but he wasn't far behind her. His teeth still clenched, even as the rest of his body surrendered to the power running him through. Soma couldn't toy around with this disingenuous weirdo in a cardigan any longer. He was running out of time.

"You see this barrier around us?" Soma snapped back to Maruki. "If you don't let Arikado go, hundreds of your guys are going to break in here and beat us to death. Is that what you want?"

Maruki reached for Soma with his left hand. "All I need is you, Soma Cruz!"

The sorcerer latched onto his shoulder. Soma jolted, frightened by the power building around them. He recognized this spell—the same one that had leapt out of their candle. The portal spell. His heart raced. Maruki was trying to kidnap him! It would be bad enough if he ended up being tortured by cultists and let Dracula take over. What he dreaded more was what would happen to Arikado and Mina if they were left to whatever hands found them first. The raging madmen outside had no comprehension of mercy.

If they died because of him—if he didn't do everything he could to save them—

Soma lashed out, snarling. His blade drew blood. The young man fell from the portal as Maruki collapsed into it. Nausea flooded Soma as he looked over his shoulder, finding a disembodied hand still clutching to him. He pulled the bloody limb aside, then threw it into the closing portal. That wasn't the worst blow he'd made against a human foe, but it certainly wasn't pleasant.

Thumping snapped him out of his sickened state. He had to get this shrine secured! He stumbled in the darkness, reaching towards faces illuminated with green light. This Maruki guy wasn't screwing around when it came to hypnotizing others. Even injured and far away, his spells held. Soma's stomach tangled at the sight of Mina dangling lifelessly. He reached out, then patted her face.

She didn't respond.

Arikado was little better. Maruki's sphere hadn't taken him over, but he wasn't looking good. The strange orb glowed with an eerie lime aura, throbbing. Arikado's breathing was synced to it. Soma grimaced. He focused his resolve, studying the sphere still circling around its target. It crackled with wicked power.

With a single slash, Soma cut through it. Green energy dissipated in a diagonal line. Arikado's body plummeted to the ground. Soma winced. That had to hurt, if he could feel it. His hope waned as seconds passed by. Kneeling, he tapped Arikado's cheek. The agent remained quiet, still. His magic continued fading.

Panic drove Soma's heart rate up. He couldn't wait for backup. He needed help now! He grabbed Arikado's belt, flipped him onto his back, then pulled a black cellphone out of his left jacket pocket. He dialed as fast as he could. His hands trembled as he knelt down, beating fists still trying to get to him. It would only be a matter of time until they broke in.

Or, until Maruki came back for him.

His throat constricted as Yoko answered the phone. "Arikado? Are you okay?"

"It's Soma," the young man said. "We're in trouble!"

/***/

Yoko's back straightened. Her eyes were wide, teeth bared as she spoke. To others on the train, she must have looked strange, to be so sharp and worried this late at night. To Julius and Hammer? Downright terrifying. She pushed her hair back, trying to keep calm. Soma needed her to keep cool. She could do that for him.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Yoko asked.

Soma's voice was cracking. "Mina and Arikado were—I think they were hypnotized. Like those guys who were chasing us around. Well, are. They're still outside." The kid stopped to take a wet, hot gasp. "Arikado's barrier's failing, and there was this weird wizard here, and I don't know what I'm gonna do if—"

He was rambling. Yoko cut him short. "Soma. One problem at a time."

"You know about this kind of magic, right?" His voice was still shaking, but at least he was focusing. "I need to snap them out of this."

Yoko crossed her leg over her knee. "Tell me what the spell looked like."

Julius frowned. "Spell?"

Raising one finger, Yoko shushed him. The Belmont closed his mouth. Aggression built in his shoulders. Damn this train for going so slow! Those kids needed him now. Here they were, trapped underground, stopping at empty stations. All of it was a waste of time!

"There were these orbs," Soma explained. "They were all shiny and green. When I was hit with one, my whole body went numb. Mina's disappeared, but her eyes…she's just like the people outside. Not attacking or anything, but she's not herself."

"I'm so sorry, Soma." She cradled the phone to her ear, as if soft caresses could travel through plastic. "We can snap her out of it when we get there. Right now, you've got to get to a safe place. Can you find a basement with a locked door?"

Soma rejected her idea. "I can't leave Arikado and Mina behind!" He paused to suck in a breath. "I don't think Arikado's shield is going to hold much longer. He's not waking up, either. I might have given him a concussion. I don't know! He took a pretty hard fall."

"Hold on—what did you do to Arikado?" Yoko asked.

Soma's voice perked up. "He was hit with that spell too, but that orb thing hadn't disappeared yet. I mean, it took Mina really fast, but he was still able to cast magic for a while!" He paused for a quick breath. "I was able to break it. Was that the right thing to do? I mean, it's what he did to save me, but—"

Yoko nodded excitedly. She grabbed onto Julius' knee, trying to reassure the worried vampire hunter. "Yes! Soma, that what's we're going to do with Mina too. We've got tools that can see invisible spells. Don't try swatting at anything, okay? You don't want to accidentally hurt her or provoke her!"

"Provoke?" Soma echoed.

Yoko grimaced. Bad choice of words. She skipped over explaining herself. "Right now, you need to focus on getting Arikado awake."

Soma gave a long groan. "I don't have to kiss him or something, do I?"

"What kind of question—" Yoko couldn't believe the kid. "What would make you think that?"

Soma's voice became high-pitched, flustered. "I don't know! It's the way these things always work in fairy tales and stuff. I mean, I'd do it if it'd fix Mina, but—well, I think Arikado and I are friends, but not like that!"

Yoko clutched her head. She didn't know if she wanted to shout, laugh, or cry. "Sweetie, you do whatever you have to do."

"Okay." Soma calmed down. He took a deep breath, then shared his thoughts. "I've got to put the phone down. I'm going to put you on speakerphone while I do…something. I guess."

"I'll be right here," Yoko promised.

She wished she was more than a crackling voice through a receiver. That kid needed physical help. She rocked back, then shared a strained grin with Hammer and Julius. Neither of them bought her expression. She fought back a sigh. If she could do nothing else, she could offer her optimism. Both of her companions moved closer to her, listening with sharp ears for the voice on the other end of the line. If it wouldn't have freaked out everyone on the train, she would have put her own phone on speakerphone.

Between being stuck on a plane for hours and sandwiched between two pushy men on a train while her friends were attacked, Yoko was starting to hate transportation. All she needed now was to get into a car wreck and complete the trifecta of crappy vehicle luck.

/***/

Soma rubbed his palms together. "Okay. Let's do this."

He reached into the shrine's altar, ignoring the pounding coming from the walls. There had to be something back here. No shrine left a bunch of candles and incense lying about without having a matchbox or a lighter nearby. He found them, along with a few more curious items. Holy texts, cups, and dippers were scattered inside the altar. Soma's eyes widened. He snatched his weapon of choice, then bolted.

"Hold on, Yoko!" Soma shouted to the phone. "I've got an idea!"

The young man rushed to the front of the shrine. Bubbling came from a nearby chozubachi fountain. It was long, rectangular, made of stone. A dragon's mouth gushed water. This was the place shrine visitors would stop to wash their hands, to purify themselves before their worship. For Soma, it was going to have a more practical use.

Soma dipped his ladle into the water. Cold droplets splashed on his knuckles as he pulled back. He walked across the shrine once more, keeping his gait controlled. He couldn't spare a drop. When he reached Arikado's side, he knelt down, placing one hand above the dipper. Water beaded beneath his palms, licking soft skin.

"Sorry about this," Soma apologized.

With one flick, Soma threw the dipper's content's into Arikado's face.

The agent jolted backwards. He gasped, wiping beads away with the same panic as a soaked cat. Fingers felt across his jacket for his handkerchief. Soma yanked it out, then passed it to him. The agent cleaned his face, the smell of Mina's perfume still strong within it. It took great restraint not to rub his eyes with the cloth.

Arikado was livid. "What did you do that for?"

"You weren't waking up!" Soma yelled back.

Yoko's voice interrupted their anger. "Soma, what did you just do?"

Soma turned to the phone. "Threw shrine water in his face."

Yoko could hardly keep down a laugh. "Soma! That's—that's not okay."

"Why not?" Soma asked.

"You threw holy water onto him. You know. The guy who uses dark magic?" Yoko was gentle with her scolding, censoring the reason for Arikado's anatomical abnormalities as best as she could. This wasn't the time to be telling Soma that dhampirs were sensitive to holy water. Or, that Arikado was one, for that matter.

Soma fumed. "It's not like I dunked his head in the fountain or anything!"

"It's alright. I apologize for making a fuss." Arikado drew in a sharp breath, then shook his head. "Now, where is our attacker? And is Miss Hakuba…"

The agent was kind enough not to finish his sentence. Soma grimaced, shuddering at the sight of Mina still floating in midair. Arikado's face pulled in the same way. He glanced around, trying to find anything else. The malevolent magician that had attacked them was nowhere to be seen. Dark forms were still pounding away outside. The agent stood, then focused his energy on the barrier around the shrine once more. With a hiss and a snap, it flourished once more.

Arikado got to work. He snatched his cellphone from the floor. "Please tell me that—"

"Julius has some holy glasses," Yoko cut in. "Can you keep the kids safe?"

"Soma seems to be doing a fair job for himself," Arikado replied. "We should have additional support shortly. Until then, we will keep an eye on Miss Hakuba's condition."

Both the agent and the young man with white hair circled about the poor girl. It was disheartening to see her so limp. Soma stopped in front of her face. What was once warm and charming now burned with green fire. It was uncomfortable to look at her like that. To see so that much spirit dulled, replaced with something eerie and unnatural. He felt like he failed her.

He wouldn't do that again.

* * *

Author's Note

Once more, thank you! Now, quickly! Onto the next chapter!

...When it gets there, of course.


	7. Chapter 7

The shrine still stood.

The witches watching from afar bristled with frustration. What was their master doing? Why hadn't he pulled that little twerp out yet? One young man couldn't be that much trouble to subdue—especially with their master's hypnotic powers. Sure, the target had Dracula's soul and all the power that came with it, but it wasn't like he was using it. Even if he did, it would just work to satisfy their goals.

So, what was the problem?

A chipper ring tone broke their conversation. Chika snapped her phone up. "Yes, Master?"

"There's been a setback, my darlings," the cult leader sighed. "I'm afraid our little Soma is a disarming gentleman."

Chika rolled her eyes. "You couldn't just knock him on the head and drag him with you?"

Despite the pain in his voice, Maruki laughed. "I don't use the term 'disarming' lightly, my dear."

The pushy girl with the curly hair hissed. "I'm not going to kiss your wounds and make them better. I'm not that kind of girl."

"Ha! I'm not in so much pain that I need the kiss of death," Maruki laughed. "I've managed to get my arm sewn back on. One more creative use of necromancy, and it should be good as new."

"And then you're going back in, right?" Chika asked.

The witches' master grumbled. "No. Soma Cruz is powerful. His allies…peculiar. One was able to withstand my powers for quite some time. I've never seen a human have such resistance to my charms."

"Maybe he's just not into guys," Chika jabbed.

"Cute." Maruki skipped over the fiery witch's joke. "Keep watching. Soma's companions can't resist my spells for much longer. That barrier should be down in no time. Swoop in and nab Soma when you get the chance. We'll make him more agreeable at a later time. You can be patient, can't you, my sweet girl?"

Chika opened her mouth to speak, ready to smart off Maruki once more. Nothing came out. Her boss did have a point. None of her powers would scratch that magic barrier. Miyu couldn't raise her forces on sacred ground. If a hundred men banging on a magic wall didn't get through, very little would. All they could do was wait until Maruki's charms took the barrier's caster.

She was about to hang up her phone when black vehicles sped onto the premises. Both she and Miyu raised an eyebrow. What were they? Cops? They studied the people sitting in the cars. There were men and women of various ages, all dressed in the same black suit. Several were making their own calls. Other were prepping themselves. Chika's eyes widened. Pepper spray? Mace? Smoke bombs? Maybe they were some kind of plain-clothes riot squad.

"Hold on, Boss," Chika said. "I'll call you back."

/***/

Soma was suffering.

Bless the young man for not crying or whining about Mina's unfortunate fate. He took her possession in stride. There would have been times before when seeing Mina hurt would have been enough to set off the dark beast inside of him. Now, he waited patiently with her, standing every once in a while to check on her. She did little more than hang limply. Still, he would smile at her, assure her that she'd be okay.

Cold memories chilled Arikado's blood. This magic that rendered Mina into a slack puppet could do far worse. He remembered a dark, fateful night from so long ago. The way this magic had turned a valiant man into a blood-seeking monster. His chest ached at the thought. Richter Belmont was such a skilled warrior. He could catch the dhampir with a single flick of the ancient Vampire Killer, wrap him up and slam him into carpets reddened with their blood. He used every last tool at his disposal to liquefy his foes.

If it weren't for Maria's help…if she hadn't been strong in the face of such an awful spell…

Soma's voice interrupted his brooding. "Arikado?"

"Yes?" the agent responded.

"You don't look so well." Soma leaned against one of the shrine's supports. "Are you okay? Keeping this barrier up isn't hurting you, is it?"

Arikado shook his head. "It's a little taxing, but it's nothing to worry about."

Soma nodded. He scratched the back of his head, trying to avoid eye contact. "It's something about Mina, isn't it? Do you think she'll be okay? I mean, you've got to be honest with me if she's in way more danger than I think she's in."

All Arikado could picture was Julius thumping him in the back of his head, forcing him to tell Soma the truth. Not just about Mina's condition. Everything. The agent sighed, then relaxed. Maybe he couldn't trust Soma with every aspect of his life, but he could at least hear about Richter. The young man had earned that much.

"I've fought someone under the influence of this spell." Arikado spoke carefully, watching his words. "It is a wicked art. Powerful. But, curable. Even in the midst of battle, I was able to free him from his curse. I was only so fortunate because I had someone like you aiding me, Soma. Someone who didn't fear what cruelty the forces of evil can cause."

"Who were they?" Soma asked.

Arikado forced back a smile. "Old friends."

Soma nodded. He flashed a short grin. "Okay. Then, I'll try not to worry." He crossed his arms. "Besides—Julius, Yoko, and Hammer should be here soon. They'll help her. I know they can."

They had already done so much. Just hearing Yoko's voice gave Soma enough sanity to get Arikado onto his feet again. If she couldn't help Mina, then Julius certainly would. Even if Hammer had no supernatural training, he wouldn't let anyone harm a lady. They were good people, willing to stick by someone as threatening as Soma. He was so grateful to have them in his life.

Soma glanced at Arikado. He was lucky he hadn't lost him, too. "I'm glad you were able to fight that spell. How did you manage to hold out? Defense against the dark arts or something?"

Arikado shook his head. "I would have fallen at any moment. If you hadn't been there—"

"You know, flattery doesn't my questions," Soma smirked.

The kid was getting quicker. Arikado would have been impressed, if that didn't mean he had to think of another way to deflect the question. "When you've had these sorts of spells thrown at you your entire life, you gain some resistance to them."

It was the truth. Just a very abridged one. One that didn't mention constant assaults from succubi and incubi.

Soma opened his mouth to speak when cones of light flared inside the park. Both he and Arikado snapped upright. Soma bolted to the front doors. He peeked out of clouded windows. It was hard to see anything outside of Arikado's barrier and the pocked glass. There was shining metal, slamming doors, people in sharp suits.

"Who's that?" Soma murmured.

Ringing sprung from Arikado's pocket. He snapped it up. "Arikado speaking."

Soma could hear a rough, cheerful voice on the other end of the line. "Agent Arikado! Keeping out of trouble as usual, I see."

"Agent Yasuda. Pleased to have your aid." Arikado's face relaxed. "I have two young adults with me. One has been affected by a hypnotism spell. We will need help evacuating her."

"You've got it. Give my men a minute to take care of your guests," Yasuda chuckled. "And get that boy away from the door!"

Arikado nodded, then pulled Soma away from the shrine door. It wasn't a few second later that a series of pops burst outside. Soma jolted. He thought it was gunfire, for half a moment. An acrid smell flooded the shrine. His eyes beaded with the stink. He put a hand over his face, trying to block it out. Tear gas. Great!

New shadows came to the front door. Their shoulders were crisp, perfectly angled. A gruff voice muttered through doors and a plastic mask. "Agent Arikado. Our targets have been stunned. You are free to exit the building. Please come with us."

The agent complied. Dark magic shivered, then dropped to the floor, like curtains cut loose from rods. Arikado gave a little shudder. Soma sighed, but forced a smile. That spell had been more troublesome than the agent had admitted. But, he wasn't willing to press the subject. They were getting evacuated. Mina was going to be okay. That was all that mattered.

A hot blast of fire dashed Soma's hopes.

Both the young man and the agent were tossed back by the impact. Men erupted into flames. A horrid chorus of shrieks went up. Soma's jaw dropped. Horror knocked the sense out of his head. Arikado pulled him back as another fireball wiped out another wave of people. Smoke and tear gas flooded through smoldering doors. Black shadows surrounded by orange light weaved back and forth, cooking, collapsing.

Arikado reached for his phone. "Agent Yasuda! Pull your men back!"

There was no response.

The agent had no time to panic. The shrine was being consumed by fire. Soma and Mina were in danger. He had to get them out of here before whatever was attacking them hurt anyone else. He ended his dead call, then shoved his phone into his suit jacket, trembling with horrible memories. Burns would be bad enough. The smoke was more threatening. It didn't take long for a human to asphyxiate. He knew that all too well.

Arikado grabbed his handkerchief. He tied it around Soma's mouth. Hopefully, that would help the young man breathe a little easier. "Take Mina."

Soma stared at his friend, still floating lifelessly. "How?"

It wasn't an unreasonable question. Moving hypnotized people was risky. Any sudden jolt could send them into a frenzy. They really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Either they got out now, or everything around them would roast. God help Julius and company if they came across the hazards waiting outside. The last thing Arikado wanted to do was lure his companions to such a terrible death.

This wasn't the time to be soft. Soma was asking for directions. He needed help.

"Put one hand on her shoulder. Put your other beneath her knees. Push down lightly." Arikado's words were clipped. "I will secure her to you."

Soma did as he was told. Mina moved slowly through the air, not obeying even the forces of nature. His left hand went on her left shoulder. Once she was down far enough, he scooped up her knees. It was a surreal feeling holding Mina like this. She wasn't weighing him down. She kept in front of him, even as he lowered his arms. That didn't look right at all. He held her again, comfortable with her weight against him. This felt much safer for her.

There was a slick sound, leather sliding past cotton. Arikado walked in front of Soma, then produced his belt. He wound it around Mina's waist. With an uncomfortable amount of personal space invasion, he took the other end of the belt and tucked it around Soma's belt. He tied it as tightly as possible, then locked the belt's buckle.

"That should do it," Arikado murmured.

"Great." Like a balloon tied to a child's hand. Soma's face flushed. That was completely the wrong word to use to talk about a girl. Mina would have hit him if he knew his thoughts about her predicament.

"Whatever you do, keep her safe. Just keep running, no matter what." Arikado glanced towards the blazing exit. "Are you ready?"

Soma stopped the hurried agent. He reached into his coat, then slammed a metal hilt into Arikado's hands. The agent nodded. He would be their offense. The young man had enough to worry about with Mina. Arikado was more than willing to ease his mind.

"Run!" Arikado ordered.

Two sets of legs bolted into hell. What had only been a trickle of smoke and tear gas now burst into a thick, voluminous cloud. Arikado ran past smoldering colleagues, eyes red and wet from tear gas and grief. Soma fared little better. He ran blindly, struggling to stagger over charred corpses. Hopefully, Mina wouldn't feel this. He shivered as a sturdy hand took his shoulder. Through tear-streaked eyes, Soma found Arikado's smoke-stained face. They ran together, coughing and wheezing the whole way out of the park.

Carnage lay in clumps around the massacre. Cars were melted into scrap, agents inside cooked. More zombified men wandered around them. All was swathed in hellish flame. Some were left on the ground, burned to throbbing hunks of unrecognizable features. Soma was glad Mina wasn't conscious for this. She would have been devastated to see the shrine in cinders and people dying in such a horrific way.

Who was doing this?

Soma followed the dark agent through black shadows. Street lights poked through blue-green leaves. His stomach began to settle. They could find new shelter in another building. Arikado could make another barrier, call for more help. As long as no one else followed their tracks, they would be safe. All the same, Soma felt crushed. How many people had been murdered because of him?

Violent fire struck a taxi parked in front of them. Both men were blown back. Soma snapped up, making sure Mina hadn't been hurt. She hadn't so much as blinked. He was relieved that she didn't flip out, but he was also terrified. No response at all? What horrible power could do that?

Arikado groaned as he picked himself off the ground. He turned his attention to where the fireball had leapt from. Two shadows stood in the park, watching Soma and him. The one to the right was placid, expressionless. The other smiled with sadistic mirth. She smooched her fingers, then launched another fireball at the escaping group. The fiery kiss splashed around them, erupting into five licks of flame.

"Soma! Get Mina out of here!" Arikado ordered.

Soma picked both Mina and himself up. He began running once more. A warm hiss followed his footsteps. Arikado flung his hand forward. Fire met fire, exploding before the witch's wicked flames could engulf the fleeing pair. There was a screech as Arikado drew a line into the paved road. More fire followed his commands, giving them a crackling curtain to escape behind.

Soma made it around the corner of a building. Arikado was ten paces behind. The kid was glad not to have lost him. He had no doubt that the agent would put his life on the line for both Mina and him. That was not a strategy he wanted to use. He slowed down, letting the rushing agent catch up to him.

"I hope we lost them," Soma panted.

His wishes were in vain.

The witches followed him. This time, the one with the skull barrette took lead. She gave one sharp, shrill whistle. The ground crackled at her call. This was no earthquake. That would have been troublesome enough. What came crawling out of the ground was far worse. White bone clawed out of cement, followed in turn by ghoulish flesh.

Skeletons. Zombies. All kinds of undead waking up and ready to take arms.

Soma yelped as one skeleton yanked on his ankle. Arikado's sharp heel came down on it. Bone shattered from the kick. He pushed Soma forward, trying to keep the pyromancer busy while the necromancer called for more forces. Her piercing gaze set a queasy tremor through his stomach. He grimaced again. No, that was just from the street tearing.

"Keep running!" Arikado shouted.

The young man winced as a fireball took out a street lamp. Both he and Arikado barely had time to dodge it. Their retreat wasn't going to work. They needed as many hands fighting as possible. As determined and crafty as Arikado was, he couldn't throw off this many forces and protect Soma and Mina. The young man needed to step in. The power he needed was close at hand.

Soma yelled back at Arikado. "Ignore that fire witch! Kill the monsters!"

"She's the larger threat!" Arikado argued.

"I need souls to power up, right?" Soma gave him a stressed smile. "So, cut me some slack and get some of these weak guys for me!"

The agent nodded. Soma's logic wasn't unreasonable. He switched his focus, taking his blade in hand. One zombie wandered too close. He lashed out, separating its head from its neck in one swipe. Another skeleton closed in on them. He snatched it by the skull. With a single clench, he crushed weak bone in his hands.

There was a pop of spiraling red power. Soma's eyes widened. That was for him. He raised his hand, calling the wayward soul towards him. The red soul spun into his body, striking him in the chest. At once, his blood rushed. One power was back. He pointed a finger, then flung his restored power at the girls following them. He whipped a single femur bone blindly through the air. It smacked the pyromancer in the face, sending her spell slamming into an iron-wrought stairwell on an apartment complex.

Arikado's eyebrows lifted. "Well done."

"Just keep those souls coming!" Soma demanded.

If Dracula's spirit was condemning them to another fight, the least the old man could do was help them out.

* * *

Author's Note

Welcome back! Here's hoping you're having a good day.

I've been getting some questions about how I think Soma's relationship to Dracula works. Basically, I'm going by "Xenogears" rules, where we're dealing with previous incarnations being such a distinct personality from the main identity that they are treated as completely different characters. Maybe not the best pick, but it seems like it makes the most sense for this situation. Of course, most Freudian psychological concepts used by that game have been more or less tossed into a waste paper basket by the psychology community, so...make of it what you will. I don't think he's possessed by Dracula, but he's got some part of him that is definitely not standard-operations Soma, and that part gets more liable to surface as fighting continues.

Have you played "Xenogears"? Man, that game. It's got all this potential and no budget.


	8. Chapter 8

There was a strange sensation that flooded Soma every time he took a new soul. Each creature had their own life, their own experiences and auras. Some filled him with snug warmth. Others, with rage and anger. Undead creatures felt universally cold, numbing. With each that he took, his old senses would start to awaken. It was a difficult balancing act, trying to get enough strength to fight without going into a critical overload and becoming Dracula.

He had enough self-control. He could handle such a tricky power.

"Feeling better?" Arikado asked.

The young man nodded. "Between all these skeleton guys, the zombies, and that ghost? I feel like a walking army!" He snapped his fingers, smirking as a new spirit manifested behind his head. "Really digging the ghost, by the way. And that beam-shooting skeleton? Good job on—"

The rest of his words were smothered into Arikado's chest. The young man yelped as the agent yanked both Mina and him beneath his body. Fire and metal crashed over their heads. There were two smacks, then a whining alarm. Soma winced. Was that a police car?

He gulped. No, that was an Agency car—complete with roasted corpses.

The necromancer had been the one behind the miraculous toss. She cracked her knuckles, a giant skeletal pair of arms following her movements. The corpse she was summoning hadn't even torn its way out of the ground, and it was already strong enough to pitch something like that at them. The pyromancer in her company sneered, patting her on the shoulder. "A complete miss? Aww. Try aiming a little lower next time, Miyu."

"And hit our lord?" The charm-decked necromancer glanced at her companion. "I'm fine with killing all the suits you would like, Chika. However, we must be careful with Soma."

Teeth flashed in Arikado's clenched jaw. His rage seeped into Soma. The young man pushed onto his feet. He gathered Mina's body in one arm, raising to strike with the other. Arikado pressed against his wrist. There was something else in his face that Soma hadn't caught. Eyebrows pressed down. Pupils narrowed in dark eyes. Paleness in his face. Not just his natural color, either—something blanched and sickened.

"Run," Arikado demanded. "I'll distract them."

"Are you nuts? They'll kill you!" Soma snarled.

Arikado snapped back. "And what of Miss Hakuba?"

Soma cursed, his tongue stifling his anger. Damned Arikado! He was right. No matter how powered Soma was, no matter how much he was itching for a fight, Mina's life was in his hands. She was tied to him, relying completely on him. He had put her at too much risk already. He could not gamble with her life again.

Neither could he lose Arikado. "I can't—"

"Go," Arikado replied. "Please."

Begging? Was the situation that desperate? Soma groaned. He readjusted his grip on Mina, his resolve snapping. The agent hadn't led him astray before. He was trying to do his job—trying to protect them. Old irritations came back. It was easier to be mad at Arikado than distressed at his actions. If Arikado the prick got himself killed, then it would be his fault. But, if Arikado his friend fell prey to the forces of evil—

Soma swore as he ran off. "Don't die, you bastard!"

He couldn't know how those words drove a dagger into Arikado. Not that this was any time to lick his wounds. The feet scampering from him needed a distraction, and that he could provide. With one clench of his left fist, magic pulsed from his body. White light blasted through the bodies of the undead. Spirits burst into the air. Bones and rotted flesh collapsed throughout the street. The magic cleaved the undead army in two, drawing a squawk from the pyromancer and an annoyed grunt from the necromancer.

The agent shook the spell off, letting energy from the ghastly lights flow back into his body. It was a godsend. Such nasty magic didn't come without a massive drain on his stamina. Arikado didn't pause to see how far away Soma was. He would just have to trust that the young man's legs and spirit were strong.

Dark eyes glared at the two witches. Arikado raised his sword. "I would suggest rethinking your actions. Stand down."

Of all things, he did not expect the pyromancer to be amused by his actions. "Alright. Suit's got a little fire! This should be fun!"

"Having fun is not our objective," the necromancer grumbled. "Allow me."

Miyu twisted her fist. The skeletal arms in her possession followed. A slash from the first massive arm raked across the agent's path. He leapt over it, agile feet closing the distance between the warring parties. The second arm was quicker. Boney fingers snatched him. With one sharp thwack, it slammed him into the pavement.

Arikado slashed his sword against two bones. They cracked beneath the blade. As he drew back, he yelled. His left arm was locking against itself. With one shove, he forced ancient bones back into place. Nerves flared with hot pain at such a rough fix. He tore free from the broken hand's grasp, shuddering. His body was going to hate him tomorrow morning.

The necromancer pulled her hands up. Bones burst from the ground, lacing themselves around him. Ribs folded against each other, fusing. More massive parts were coming out of the ground. Vertebrae. Hips. Femurs. A gigantic skull. Raw flesh followed, organs blooming in the chest's walls. He threw himself forward. He couldn't let this terrible monster seal him inside it.

With a single slash, Arikado cut the creature's neck from its shoulders. He scrambled out as gore collapsed on itself. This was getting obnoxious. More monsters were coming up from the vents of hell, rebuilding themselves from scratch. They weren't the worst of his troubles. Fresh fireballs splattered before his legs. He pulled back, grimacing as the fire-slinging witch toyed with him. Clearly, she had not been getting enough attention.

"Suit, you're looking hot and bothered." Chika smirked. She leaned back, patting on Miyu's head. "Shall we show him our fabulous trick, sweetie?"

The necromancer nodded. With a slash through the air, she took the head from the giant monster now rotting in the streets. Its skull spun upwards. Slopping out of it came a writhing, repulsive tongue. With a single hop, the pyromancer leapt atop it. She giggled as unearthly fire billowed in the skull's eyes, eerie slime dripping from rotted teeth.

Arikado hardly had enough time to jump back from a tide of fire and gunk.

The agent tripped into another skeleton's grasp. He winced as it whacked his bad shoulder. He crushed its chest, snarling in frustration and pain. He was ageless, not immortal. This fight was getting to be too cumbersome. There were too many targets to track, too many chances to get hit. All it would take was one good smack in the back of his skull or a moment without magic at his calling, and he would be overrun. Soma and Mina needed his distraction, not his destruction. He had to find another way to buy them more time to hide.

There was always another option. A desperate one.

Spry feet bolted down an avenue. The pyromancer shrieked with delight, eager to pursue him. He paid her no mind. His goal was to get these wild women away from Soma and Mina's position, and he would do that, no matter what. He weaved past traffic, dove around tables and chairs left outside of closed cafes, put everything between himself and the forces of evil that followed his shadow.

He ran several blocks before his lungs began to protest. He spared only one look behind his back. Those damn girls sure had kept up with him. He ducked into an alleyway, then threw himself behind a dumpster. If this plan was going to work, he'd have to take his drastic measure now.

Magic gathered around him in a swirl of black clouds. Arikado relaxed, breathing in the mist. With one thought, he crushed his body. Crawling out of the magic came a tiny bat. Such a frail form wasn't suited for fighting, but he wasn't looking to fight anymore.

Leather wings unfurled, then pushed Arikado upward. He latched onto the top of the building above him. If he calmed his panicked pulse, he could still make out blips of human conversation. Tired eyes watched blobs swarm around where he had hid. There were frustrated grunts, squeals of anger.

"He couldn't have gotten far," Miyu said.

"You take this alley. I'll take the streets. If nothing else, we circle back to where we first found him and hunt down our master." Chika leaned forward, sliding down the front of her mount. "Don't sweat it. We won't let him get away!"

Arikado thought otherwise. He crawled on unsteady claws. Once he reached the far end of the roof top, he leapt off. Starry skies enveloped him like a cold, light ocean. He let night winds guide him along, gliding with the soothing air. His tumbling flight was awkward, strained by his pain. He could not last long condensed into such a small creature, flying on a bad shoulder.

White light bobbed next to his side. Arikado shuddered. He would have snapped at the creature flying alongside him, had it not been a familiar spirit. Soma's ghost was in his company. Arikado sighed. Why had the young man sent the ghost after him? Was he in trouble? Worried?

"Where is Soma?" Arikado asked.

The ghost blinked out of sight. It dotted through the sky, blipping in and out of visibility, making a cloudy path. Arikado dove after it, chasing vapors through the burning city. People shrieked in horror as monsters leapt upon them. Floating eyeballs snapped at his wings. He flew onward, body aching, heart beating with an uneasy pulse.

With one last poof, Soma's familiar blasted through a building. Arikado lowered himself beside it, his tiny wings out of strength. The agent landed on stone stairs, then let his body unfurl into his human form. Shaking his head, he regained his senses. He was in front of a dilapidated door. It sat crooked on its frame, paint chipping away, lock snapped off. An abandoned apartment building, from the looks of it.

Arikado stepped inside. How rare and strange the complex was, considering the dense population and the need for residential areas. Windows had been tacked up with boards. The interior hallway was molding, black streaks running down the walls. Disgusting. No human would willingly live in such a place. He stopped once to smell the air. There was a scent of perfume, familiar blood. Soma and Mina were here, way above him.

He hauled himself up spiraling stairs, legs burning, shoulder aching. Soma had picked a hell of a spot to hide. The agent paused, calibrating his path to Soma once again. Strong scents flooded behind a door labeled with the number five. He pushed against the door. Behind it, the simple apartment was left to the ravages of time.

Bugs scattered as Arikado stepped inside the apartment. Tatami floors were torn up. Trash was left in crumpled heaps around the kitchen area. He lifted his nose, then took a short sniff. Even over putrid garbage, he could smell the human pair. Warm, radiating body heat was nearby, sinking into his chilled skin.

Arikado lowered his head. The bathroom.

He peeked through the door's crack. It was a traditional Japanese bathroom—half dedicated to a washing area, half for a toilet and sink. He glanced into the bathroom's vanity, catching the reflection of a girl tucked into a furo tub. She was half floating, half resting inside, bearing eyes that still radiated a nauseating shade of green. Arikado lowered his eyebrows. Where was Soma? He wouldn't have left her alone, would he?

The agent nudged the door open. "Soma? Are you—"

Pale arms from behind the walls snatched him. The rest of his words disappeared in a squeezed gasp. Dampness soaked his shirt as Soma clenched onto him. He had an awful smell clinging to him, like smoke and putrid flesh. The tips of his hair were crispy. He looked like he had walked through hell, as if he were going to crumble into a heap of ash. Yet, when he looked up to face Arikado, his eyes were bright, his soul solid and shining.

"Don't do that ever again!" Soma shouted.

Arikado nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Better be, you jerk." Soma sighed, then let him go. Despite his anger, he kept smiling. "Man, I'm glad you're here."

"As I you," Arikado replied.

/***/

There was a soft ding as the doors to the orange Chuo Line train flung open. Its exiting passengers were not so calm.

"Any new messages?" Julius asked Yoko.

The witch sighed. "Still checking."

It wasn't easy rushing headlong, trailing luggage and trying to text at the same time. She almost knocked over a gaggle of teenagers. Julius led the two in his company towards the exit gate. Yoko gave one glance at the map near the doorway, then looked back to her phone. Inokashira Park wasn't a long walk from their location. They'd be at its edge within ten minutes, in its heart within fifteen. Her nerves were hopping, heart racing. Soma and company were as good as saved.

Her enthusiasm died down when they stepped outside.

Undead figures were walking the streets. Groaning humans shuffled alongside them, eyes glowing a piercing lime green. More eyes floated through the sky. They were spying down upon the city, lashing out with electrified tails. Julius snarled. It wasn't half a second later that his family's trusty Vampire Killer was wrapped around his shoulder, ready for battle.

Yoko and Hammer stopped to arm themselves as well. She popped her family's staff out of a pouch meant to hold a water bottle. Hammer busied himself with rearranging his luggage. He strapped what he couldn't dump into his attaché case to his body. He slipped a box of bullets into his pocket, then hopped onto his feet, ready for battle.

A small bing came from Yoko's phone. Hammer and Julius swarmed her, waiting with eager anticipation. What they found was a bit underwhelming. It was a simple address, complete with a door number. An apartment's address, by the looks of it.

"I thought they were still in Inokashira," Yoko murmured.

Julius shook his head. "They must have gotten in trouble. Do you know where this place is?"

"Roughly," Yoko nodded. "Follow me."

If this would have been a light jog through a shopping mall, it would have been easy. Now, with hell spewing up a few of its residents, it was a disaster. Julius grimaced. They were going to have to cut their own path through the crowd. If he was just with Yoko, he would have had no reason to worry. Hammer, on the other hand, was a bit less predictable.

"Whatever you do, do not shoot the people with glowing eyes. Understood?" Julius instructed the brash American.

Hammer nodded. "Ten-four, Captain. Just to be clear—I can shoot any other monster in the head, right?"

Julius gave a short grunt. "If it helps."

To the ex-soldier's credit, he didn't immediately crack open up a can of whoop-ass. It was only when one zombie got a little too close to Yoko that he opened fire. Such a pop attracted the attention of every monster on the street. Yoko sighed, then swung her wand upward. Spires of icicles spun around her. They lanced through one row of the undead, freezing more in their tracks.

"G-guess I don't need to worry about protecting you," Hammer stuttered, stunned by the spell.

Yoko patted his cheek. "Do what you've got to, honey. Just don't let those kids down!"

Roars like thunder rushed overhead. Massive eyeballs were zipping down from the sky. Julius was having none of their threats. He lashed out. The Vampire Killer wrapped around one creature's tail. With a mighty yank, the Belmont slammed the hapless creature into the street. Flesh cracked and oozed as he tore the monster apart.

More disembodied eyes descended on the group. Five pops of gunfire burst the first in line. Crackling fire blasted another one away. Julius sneered as the last came to him. A divine rage seethed in his blood. He bounded up, legs defiant of his age in strength. One creature was squashed beneath his feet. Another was thrown down to earth, exploding in a mass of cement and gore. One more stabbed at him with its charged nerve endings. He grabbed the massive tail, lightning shining in his teeth, and dragged it down with him. A splatter of electricity and plasma downed the creature.

With little fanfare, he recovered his suitcase.

Screaming citizens ran past them. Hammer's heart twisted. He forgot what it was like to be a normal person—to never have to deal with killing others or surviving an attack. He took to a sidewalk, waving survivors off to safer paths. One skeleton swiped at a couple behind his back. He placed his gun in its teeth, then pulled the trigger. Bone powdered at the point blank shot. He only stopped to nudge the citizens onward, reloading as he ran back to the group.

"I suppose this is nothing to you guys," Hammer said.

"It's not pleasant." Yoko stopped to blast an oncoming zombified horse out of her path. It crashed before her, whinnies unearthly in its destruction. "But, it's manageable."

Julius smirked at his companions. "I needed this after sitting in that damn plane. My joints can't take sitting still that long."

Yoko shared her bright smile. "Leave it to you to actually get relaxed fighting monsters!"

"As soothing as painting, really," Julius shrugged.

"Your bloodlust is as bad as Dracula's, old man!" Yoko laughed. She stopped, then pointed down an avenue. "That way! We're getting close!"

Twisted smells flooded the streets. There was a salty overtone, something warm and savory like soup wafting from restaurants. Cooking flesh came too, but not from an appealing source. Bodies were left in blackened clumps all over the street. One car was smoking, bleeding rainbows from its gas tank. It caught fire, broiling. Leave it to Soma and his crew to get stuck on the same street as a gaping maw to hell.

Yoko tapped her wand on Julius' shoulder. The Belmont nodded. He followed the good witch into an alley. Hammer darted close behind. There was no way he was going to let Yoko give him the slip. The lady rushed to crumbling cement stairs, then yanked her luggage up.

"They'll be at the top," Yoko informed them.

"Good," Hammer grunted. "I wanted to carry my crap up some stairs."

Julius shook his head. He bounded up the stairwell, taunting the ex-soldier. "You aren't getting out of shape, are you?"

"Absolutely not!" Hammer shouted after him.

"Excellent," Julius snickered. "I'd hate to think an old man could outdo you."

That was more than enough taunting to get Hammer moving. Both men raced up the stairs. Yoko paused long enough to shove the apartment complex's door shut. She fiddled with a broken door latch, then gave up. The kids needed her now. She could handle whatever walked in through that damn door later.

All three charged upstairs, racing towards the apartment complex. Julius reached the door first. He pushed it gently aside, scanning the front room. It was gutted, covered in dead bugs and garbage. Tattered leaves crumpled by his feet. Kneeling before them all was a black figure guarding a closed door. Eyes flickered gold light in the dark, then burned out, at ease with his company.

Arikado knocked on the bathroom door. "Soma. Your guests are here."

White hair puffed behind a slowly-opening crack. The young man grinned, then flung the door open. He grabbed Yoko by the shoulders first, squeezing her in a bear hug. Hammer got the youth next. He pulled the kid off the ground, roaring with delight at seeing him again. Even the cantankerous Belmont was glad to see the young man. He reached out a hand, then clapped Soma on the shoulder.

"It's good to see you, Soma," Julius said.

Soma nodded. "You too." He grabbed Julius by the wrist. "Now, get over here and help Mina!"

Fair enough. Saving people was a Belmont's second calling, after all.

* * *

Author's Note

So, I had quite the fit writing the first half of this chapter. A lot of it had to do with a battle between what was the more interesting event happening (Arikado fighting) versus what the audience should be following as the main character (Soma, obviously). In the end, I decided that while the last couple of chapters have been a bit too heavy in Arikado's perspective, the following ones would be more focused on Soma, so screw it. Action sequence go!

I think I had three separate drafts for this chapter and ended up smooshing them together. Professional!


	9. Chapter 9

Verdant fog continued growing.

Mina was trapped within a bauble, floating through nothing. There was no ground, no sky. Just green mist. A pressure had been building in her head for some time. It was getting harder to breathe. She reached out, but only smooth glass passed her fingers. Every motion sent her rolling forward, backward, upside down.

This couldn't be real. But being here hurt.

A swelling boom hammered against her head once again. The poor girl curled up, clapping her hands over her ears. Even then, the cries enveloped her. "Take our dark lord. Bring him to us. Show him our mercy."

"No!" Mina yelled.

Demands came again. "Give others mercy. Kill them."

"I won't!" she shrieked.

Her captor was stupid if he thought she could take on any of Soma's friends. Mina tried her best to fight, but she was not a fighter. Not in the same way everyone else was. Her stomach churned, shadows gushing around her. They were looking for a crack in her soul—something to wiggle through so that they could bury marionette strings inside her.

"You are weak, aren't you?" The voice laughed, echoes rumbling like distant thunder. "You can be strong. We can make you that way. Our lord can, too. Just bring him to us. Give mercy to those that stand in your way."

Mina refused again. "Get out of my head!"

"Glasses."

"Glasses!"

She swiveled around. Those voices were familiar. Her heart sped up, racing in joy. That had to be Julius and Yoko. Mina kept turning, looking through the abyss for her friends. There was no one present. Her hopes sank. Was this another trick by that wizard that had struck her?

"Julius! Yoko! Anybody!" Mina shouted into the void. "Can you hear me?"

Snickering rumbled through her guts. "You should kill them. Kill them for our lord. Kill them for Soma. They can't ever hurt him again."

"They don't want to hurt him!" Mina snapped.

"He is a threat to them. They are a threat to us," the booming voice ordered.

Another yelped. "Yeowch! That's a hot one."

A low voice felt so close to her, as if lips were breathing against her ear. "She's receiving instructions. If she's not acting on them, then perhaps some part of her is still resisting."

Mina's stomach knotted. Was that Hammer? But that other one—that had to be Arikado! Hadn't he been hurt? Soma must have helped him. She gasped, then searched around her. "Soma! Soma, are you there? I'm here! Just…just help me!"

"Don't be scared, Mina," the voice started again. "Take Soma by the hand. Lead him. Show him the right way. Be merciful to everyone."

"Would you like the honors?" Julius asked.

Honors? Honors for what? She pushed forward, trying to find anyone. They had to be close—so, so close. Fingers reached out once more. They fell, hitting something new. It was cold, smooth as the bubble that trapped her in this fog. But hard. Solid. Ceramic.

Sudden warmth surrounded her. Her spirit calmed. She felt enveloped by something soft and soothing. Like a hot summer wind. Fluffy fur. A well-worn jacket. She sank down, realizing what this reminded her of. Soma's coat—his warm, white coat, smelling of static and clean cotton.

"Soma," Mina sighed.

Reality cracked around her. It rained into an expanding void, so many pieces of green glass lost to an endless black hole. She fell with it. A hard smack landed her into her body. She jerked up, banging her head against a wall. All at once, she was aware of herself. Fingers tingled. Toes curled. Eyelids snapped shut. Her eyeballs burned, like she had been staring forever.

Mina opened her eyes. The world no longer swam around her. The pounding voice in her head was gone. Her friends waited for her to speak, leaning forward in anticipation. She pulled herself onto her rear. Julius was there, glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Yoko was behind him, her smile spreading as Mina's vision cleared. Hammer edged closer to her, curious about what she had gone through. Arikado's stance didn't change, but his eyes did, softening. Most important of all was the young man seated to her right, jaw dropped open, glass shards falling from his fingers.

The shrine maiden breathed, glad to have a solid chest and real air. "S-Soma? Is this—is everyone—I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Soma shook his head. "No. You're not asleep."

"Then…" Mina reached out, then patted Soma's head. Fluffy hair fell between her fingers.

This was real. Really real! She grabbed Soma's shoulders, then squeezed him. He returned the gesture. Both Hammer and Yoko gushed at the pair's affectionate outburst. Julius gave a grumpy, muffled mutter, but still smiled. Louder than any of them was her heartbeat in her head, the suppressed hiccuping from Soma as he fought back tears.

Mina buried her eyes in his coat. "Can you tell me everything? Like…what we're all doing in a bathroom together? It's really kind of invasive!"

Yoko's laughter chased away her tears. She swatted Julius on the shoulder. "Come on, boys. You heard the lady. Let's give her a little time to recover."

Both Arikado and Julius left without protest. Soma stayed by her side. Hammer was not quite up to speed with what was happening. "Um, kid? Doesn't that mean you, too?"

Grinning, Yoko yanked Hammer out by his jacket. Dating or not, the two kids had been through hell. If Mina wanted alone time, she'd give it to her. Now, whether or not Soma counted as someone she wanted to be alone with was the young lady's choice, no matter what label she gave their friendship. Her elder knew that all too well.

What Mina cherished more than information was silence, peace—gentle hands in hers. Yoko could trust Soma to be every bit the gentleman Mina needed.

/***/

He lost connection with the shrine maiden.

Losing his control over the girl came with mixed emotions to Maruki. Sure, he expected any companion of Soma Cruz's to be difficult to subdue. The poor lady had been nearly in his grasp. He could still feel the warmth of her heart. Stronger than her devotion to him had been her kindness. He doubted that had been what severed his link to the miko, but her soul was powerful and gentle, like a silk glove stopping a steel sword.

Maruki looked to his hands, then gave them both a flex. Had it not been for Soma's generosity and some unique necromancy, he would have no more than a stump on one arm. His fingers were a bit ashen and sluggish from the spell, but they were becoming stronger with every beat of his heart. Even a little blood went a long way for humans. No wonder Dracula was so hungry for the substance.

"Beth, my dear?" Maruki asked. "How are you fairing?"

She didn't respond.

Floorboards creaked as the necromancer turned to face his disciple. The young lady was in a deep trance. Much too deep. She had a link to her peculiar creatures that went beyond anything that Maruki had ever seen. Miyu had summoning and puppetry, but a link with the undead had little value as far as intelligent control went. Brains made of worms' meat were no good for that. But, Beth's eyes? They had a delicate network with each other, snapping with electicity. There were closely-knit minds behind such ungainly bodies. Such a connection was enough to stimulate Beth's own eyes—to force tears from her.

Maruki wiped Beth's face clean. Poor lady. As long as she kept in contact with them, she would feel every pain and thought from them. No doubt many had perished that night. That any human mind could keep going through a shared death was a testament to the owner's strength. That she still sought to be with them was admirable, if unnecessarily painful.

Maruki drew one green orb from the aether. He placed it against Beth's forehead. The magic synced with her brain. As soon as her crying had stopped, Maruki knew it was safe to contact her. He sat back, then fell into his meditative state once more. If he couldn't comfort the girl from the real world, he could at least do so in her mind.

"Pardon me, my sweet girl," Maruki murmured. "You were crying. I wanted to know what was wrong."

Beth's attention shifted to him. There was a short flash of fire in her spirit. "I wish you wouldn't use your magic on me, Master. It makes me uncomfortable."

Maruki nodded. "I know." He leaned forward, calming the young lady. "Come, now. What has happened?"

"Look," Beth said.

The darkness that had filled her mind burst with images. Maruki felt as if he was flying, rolling above the skyline of Kichijoji. Hundreds of eyes were observing chaos from below. A low murmur filled his ears. Her creatures were moaning, wailing. He couldn't comprehend any of it. Such madness was something only Beth could filter.

"Help me," Maruki said. "I can't understand them."

Beth pulled away from the network of eyes. She focused on one creature. It was drifting through a burning park, its crying cyclical. "Poor child. Lost child. Dressed in soot. Won't wash clean. Won't come home. Come home. Poor child. Lost child."

Maruki shook his head. "Are they all like this?"

"Some cry about different things. Lost lives, humans fighting back, things like that," Beth explained. "They're all upset. I can't comfort them."

He could see why. Maruki couldn't comprehend them, even if Beth quieted their thoughts. Everyone had such gifts, power attuned with the unique spread of their brains and the magic in their souls. A thief like Maruki could only hope to steal flesh and cage wills. To have something as grand as Beth's heart was only a petty dream. Funny how easily she would give it away. Perhaps, if she was so suited to being within such a flock, she could not stand being alone.

"Can you call one back? Perhaps we can process what they have seen," Maruki suggested.

Beth nodded. "I can let them roam on their own, for a while. Let me see who wants to return."

Maruki pulled out of her mind. He stilled the orb controlling Beth, letting it cool. She snapped out of her trance. The stain of combat was still in her eyes, making the skin beneath them dark. She stared at a hole in the roof, too embarrassed to look at her leader. He let her be. She had mental wounds to heal. He wouldn't push her.

It was a few minutes before Beth's summoned monster came to her. The bulbous creature could hardly fit through the gaps in the ceiling. She reached to it, stroking its exposed nerve endings. What would have shocked most people left nothing more than a gentle tingle in her fingers. She drew the peculiar tail towards her phone.

"Go ahead," Beth encouraged the creature.

The eye surged electricity from its body into the phone. Maruki chuckled as Beth let the eyeball spew its visions. The monster certainly hadn't been built to have such a connection, but it was funny how magical creatures could adapt to technology. Gremlins didn't pop out of the air. They were always there—they just never had a way to manifest. Any creature that wanted to survive had to adapt to the modern era. With violent humans encroaching on new territory, rapid transformation of abilities was the only way to fight back.

Beth patted the eyeball's hide. "Thank you." She passed her phone to her leader. "Go ahead."

Maruki rolled through the images the eyeball had shared with them. Dead brethren. Smoking streets. A shrine burning. A disembodied skull, a girl riding atop it. Maruki shook his head. Chika showing off again, no doubt. Fallen men and women in black suits. More dead bodies. A man running. The empty sky. Men tearing through creatures of the night. A thin flash of silver.

He pulled his head up. "It can't be."

"What?" Beth asked.

Maruki squinted at the phone. There was no doubt about it. Ripping through one horde of eyes was a thin whip. Such a weapon was used by oppressors and deviants throughout the ages—sadists, slave drivers, and animal abusers. Not meant to be lethal, but painful all the same. There was one exception to this rule. One whip stood above all as a cruel mistress of the dawn, one that could turn back even flesh as resilient and eternal as a vampire lord's.

"The Vampire Killer," Maruki murmured.

Beth narrowed her eyes. "But, that would mean—"

Maruki nodded. He tapped a finger on the weapon's wielder. "Only one kind of man could live to be that old and still use that whip."

"A Belmont," Beth answered.

"Yes," Maruki agreed. "No doubt he is here for the boy, too. Though, likely, he's trying to kill Dracula's vessel. We'll have to contact Miyu and Chika and tell them—oh, dear."

Beth leaned over her master's shoulder. The second image he was viewing was that of a beautiful woman. She was swathed in ice, lightning at her fingertips, breathing fire. A witch, no doubt. Unusual that any witch would be fighting against monsters. Most sought allegiance with the side that would give them the most respect and power, consequences be damned. It was rare that they chose petty, narrow-minded humans. It was disappointing to see her in league with a Belmont. She would have been a much better partner in their ranks than Chika.

"That's…a Belnades?" Beth asked.

Maruki patted her head. "Good job. I have taught you well." He snickered, then flicked through another set of images. "All we need now is a Danasty and that damned Alucard to show up."

"Arikado," Beth said.

Maruki shook his head. "No, Alu—kado."

He stopped, studying the image beneath his thumb. It was as Beth had stated. The man caught in the current image was that pesky agent that had been hanging around Soma Cruz earlier. He seemed darker than before, stressed. Maruki squinted at the picture. No, that wasn't Arikado. That was smoke in his form, a meaningless cloud in a dark alleyway. The only true shapes were dumpsters, stray rats, a bat sprawled on the ground.

A bat.

"No." Maruki flipped through the gallery again. There were pictures of Soma fleeing Chika and Miyu, Arikado drawing fire behind their backs. Images of the agent tearing monsters to shreds with a sword. One shot of white lights shining out of bodies, swarming his. Maruki shuddered. If he hadn't seen a Belmont and a Belnades, he would have written the agent off as nothing but a weird anomaly. These powers were too familiar. His strength was unreal. His stubbornness against Maruki's hypnotism was beyond normal.

Maruki passed Beth's phone back to her. "Find that first image of Arikado that you got earlier today."

Beth nodded. As she searched, Maruki fiddled with the orb he had used to contact Beth. He pressed his hands against it, conjuring an image he had seen long before. There were thousands of paintings of Dracula, images repeated throughout artists of every kind. Exaggerations of Vlad the Third, replicas of Bela Lugosi, the same features repeated throughout a thousand years of history. There was always some mutation, something wrong in the replication, but the meme continued like an unending tapeworm through humanity's nightmares.

It all came from one portrait—from one man.

Maruki held up the painted image, then nudged Beth's hands. She laid her tiny screen against his summoned icon. Her eyes widened. There was too much overlap, too many similarities. Both men had the same dark hair ending in a lush fall of curls. They had an eerie sharpness to their eyes, though they were of different colors. Both stood in the same way, holding their shoulders back, proud and calm. If not for the paleness of Arikado's skin and the ink in his irises, she would have thought they were the same man.

"They look like—" Beth murmured. Terror shot through her. "No."

"I'm not taking any chances," Maruki stated. "I'll call Miyu and Chika back. If they are caught off-guard by any one of those three—"

Beth held a hand beneath her hair. "But it doesn't make any sense! If he's what you think he is, wouldn't he kill Soma? Why is he protecting his—"

"I don't know," Maruki shook his head. "This charade, his allegiance, I…I don't know."

The young disciple had never seen her master this fearful. He had returned from his kidnapping attempt with a lopped-off limb and still managed to smile. He was stronger than this. Why was he faltering before three strangers? She stared back at the images in their hands. They washed doubt clean from her spirit. Loneliness swelled it. These people were meant to be theirs, meant to give them their home. She wasn't about to let a fantasy so fair slip through her fingers.

Beth stroked the side of her phone. "Dressed in soot."

"Hmm?" Maruki wasn't following her.

"You said it yourself. It's a charade. My friends said so, too," Beth explained. "If this Arikado is who you think he is, why is he hiding?"

That answer was obvious to Maruki. "Because Dracula would kill him if he—oh." He chuckled, then scratched his chin. "Soma was not eager in taking up his true mantle, either. Why would anyone reject that sort of power?"

"Because they think it's bad," Beth replied. "Or, at least, someone told them it was bad."

Maruki bopped her on the nose. "Because someone lied to them."

The problem was starting to untangle. Of course the Belmont and Belnades clans responded so quickly to a threat involving Dracula. Someone had tipped them off. Of course Soma wouldn't take up Dracula's throne. Someone was lying to him about the glory that awaited him. Of course Alucard was still preventing his father's reign. Of course. Of course!

"If we get Soma away from his confidants, we can show him the truth," Maruki nodded. "There's too much help for him here."

Beth agreed. "Then, let's get him to leave. If we take him to some secluded place, it'll be easier to speak to him."

"Home?" Maruki asked.

"Home." Beth bobbed her head. "Though, it will be tricky to get him away from his friends."

"We have two armies, a legion of spies, and ourselves," Maruki smirked. "That little girlfriend of his will be no problem. Any humans he brings with him can be killed. And for our little joker, we've got an ace. All we have to do is play our cards correctly."

"What?" That metaphor didn't sound quite right to Beth. In what card game could an ace be more powerful than a joker?

Maruki reached for her phone. He scrolled through the images once more, then landed on what he was talking about. She shot him a glance. Now, he was being entirely too cocky. Not that it wasn't a silver bullet to the problem, but getting to it was going to be difficult.

"Do you think that's going to work?" Beth asked.

Dark confidence split a smile in Maruki's face. "It has before."

* * *

Author's Note

Pfft. Like I'm even being subtle.

Sorry about the late update again. I trashed two-thirds of this chapter. Maybe I'll post a dumped bit onto my Tumblr account later. It was okay, but repetitive. Not like this was much better, but ya know. Gotta build the bridges we burn later.

Next chapter, though. Whew! About time to drop some bombs, don't you think?


	10. Chapter 10

Soma's internal alarm went off well before his mind was ready to start the day.

He lifted his head from his arm, groggy. What time was it? There was no light in the bathroom, save for what little flickers came outside. He sat up. Something thick pinched his hip. He groaned, then picked up his cellphone. Old habits set into motion. He powered up his phone, then stared at it, eyes struggling to focus in the dark.

Soma grumbled. He remembered why he'd turned the damn thing off.

"Not another one," he sighed. It was hard to imagine a time when he wasn't constantly getting creepy photos and text messages from his stalker. He rolled his head, then opened it. What was the worst it could do? Give his phone a virus? If he could only be so lucky for it to be bricked.

The message was short, simple. "Mount Osore. I'm waiting."

Soma shuffled out of the bathroom. This was something that had to be shared. He finally had some elders backing him up, so they could be the adults for a while. This early twenties thing wasn't working out for him. Like his teen years had been great, but his life was starting to look like a slog through nefarious forces on a yearly basis. It was almost like a holiday for him. Christmas, Valentine's Day, White Day, Cult Harassment Day.

"Julius," Soma grumbled. "Weirdo's texting me again."

The Belmont groaned. He was equally as excited to greet the morning. With a crack of his neck, he sat up. Calloused fingers took Soma's phone from him. Julius gave it one look-over, then grunted. "What's Mount Osore?"

A soft voice chirped from behind Soma. "It's a mountain in Aomori." Mina stumbled to his side, rubbing dust out of her eyes. "Actually, a volcano. According to legend, it's the entrance to hell. It's got tons of these sulfur pits on it."

"Great," the Belmont huffed.

Thick laughter rumbled in Hammer's gut. The American was much too energetic for fighting off both the early morning and jet lag. As he eased himself through a round of push-ups, he tried to raise Julius' spirits. "Relax, old man. It's not like it's actually the entrance to hell. There's got to be tourist attractions around it, right? Seems like it would be a crappy place to set up shop if it was in front of hell itself."

Julius shook his head. The only way to argue with Hammer was on his own mad, brave terms. "You could make a fortune selling water bottles."

"I hadn't thought about that!" Hammer pulled his knees under his arms. He flipped onto his back, grunting as he went through a sit-up regimen. "Hey, yeah! And holy water! Or maybe those bumper stickers like they've got in Hell, Michigan!"

The preposterous name got Arikado's attention. "What? You can't be serious."

Hammer shook his head. "Nope. Totally exists."

Arikado sighed. He shot Yoko a glance. "And you wondered why I never wanted to visit the United States."

"The coasts are nice," Yoko yawned, then stretched. "What are we thinking, team? Are we going to play their little game or not?"

Soma frowned. He lowered his head, trying to shake out cobwebs from his brain while he spoke. "I mean, I guess I don't get why this stalker wants me to go out there. It's so far out! And we just saw a bunch of cult guys here last night. So, why would they want to pack up all their stuff and hike out to some mountain?"

"There's a lot of mythology with Mount Osore. Maybe they think there's some kind of dark power there," Mina offered.

"If they are more familiar with the territory, then we would have difficulties working our way out of any trap they set," Arikado murmured. "We would be at their mercy."

Mina's nose crinkled. "You mean, we'd get none, right?" Her head pounded at the very mention of the word. She wouldn't be able to think of it for a long time without hearing some creepy cult leader driving messages in her head.

"We can't stay here, either." Julius chewed on the corner of his lip. "Lord knows how many people died last night because of those monsters summoned to hunt Soma down. Never-the-less, how many people are now missing or hospitalized. We can't have another attack like that in the heart of Tokyo."

The cold reality struck Soma with an open palm. Julius was right. So many people had gotten hurt and died because these obsessed religious nuts were after him. It was one thing to put people like Yoko, Julius, Hammer and Arikado in harm's way. They could fight back and protect each other. But people who couldn't fight? Civilians? Children? People like Mina?

His heart sank. He'd almost lost Mina.

Soma gave a long sigh. "Julius is right. I'm just putting people in danger here."

Dark hair trailed in front of his face. Soma jerked up his nose. Arikado was bowed over him, black eyes intimidating and overwhelming. "This would be no better than handing yourself over to them. You realize you are being foolish, don't you?"

This was an old act. Soma was used to Arikado's frustrating persistence on keeping the young man out of trouble. Hell, last time around, the agent had done nothing but order him to go home until another set of fanatics attempted to turn Soma into a monster. Odd, how easily he would fold if he was certain of Soma's resolve. This was just another one of his tests. All it took was a little willpower of his own to ace it.

"I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt," Soma snarled. "Not innocent people, no more of your coworkers, not any of you guys, and not me."

That satisfied he agent. He pulled back, then addressed Mina. "Miss Hakuba. Perhaps it would be wise if you—"

"Don't you even finish that sentence!" Mina shouted, her spirit filled with fire.

Her passionate anger did little to melt Arikado's cold approach. "You are not safe with us. Surely, it would be better if you had protection at home."

Mina shook her head. "I'm not safe there, either." She smiled, flushed red with passion and frustration. "I don't want to be a burden to Soma. But, I know if I'm not with him, other people will pull tricks on him to make him think I'm in trouble. That's what happened with that With Light cult, right? And my charms saved him then, didn't it?"

The angry girl did have a point. Arikado nodded. "Yes, but—"

"Cool it, cutie." Yoko butted in. She put a hand on Mina's shoulder, then backed the girl up. "Soma's not going to let anything bad happen to Mina. The girl's got a good taste for evil-repelling items. All we have to do is get her prepared and make sure she keeps out of trouble. Besides—a Hakuba helped kill Dracula in the Battle of Nineteen Ninety-Nine. She might have potential."

There was a bitter expression on Arikado's face. Yoko held her smirk. That was the face of a man who vehemently did not want to be challenged. Not that his argument didn't have worth, but he was clearly getting outvoted. Neither Julius nor Hammer was barging in with a counter-argument. The agent drew a breath through his nose, then backed down.

"Soma." Arikado snapped his attention to the young man. "Guard her well."

White hair bounced with Soma's nodding head. "With my life."

Julius winced. "Not that far. Good Lord. We're trying to prevent the resurrection of Dracula, not kick start it."

"Hey! What better defense is there than offense?" Hammer yanked his attaché case over, then cracked it open. He produced a blocky, heavy pistol. "Check it out, Mina! Desert Eagle. Nine shots, .357 caliber, semi-automatic. Kicks like a bitch, but—"

Mina waved her hands. "Whoa! I've never fired a gun before! I might end up shooting one of you guys!"

Yoko patted her back. "We'll find you something. Don't worry."

"Perhaps giving her holy water might not be a bad idea," Julius suggested. "After all, she's less likely to kill us with that."

"Right! And then, we can graduate her to grenades!" Hammer cheered.

Mina rubbed the side of her head. "How about we start by getting train tickets and grabbing our stuff? We're going to be train hopping for at least five hours, after all. We can argue about it there."

Arikado nodded. He opened his phone, getting to work. "Splendid idea. Let me make my report to The Agency, and we can go."

"And you didn't want to bring me along!" Mina teased.

/***/

They were an hour into the ride, and Soma was already bored.

He knew he should be grateful for some down time. It was a miracle that he and his friends weren't attacked the minute they stepped foot outside of the abandoned apartment complex. He just didn't know what to do. His elders were all checked out. Hell, Yoko had fallen asleep standing up and using the hand rails. Not that he blamed them for being so tired, but it made it hard for him to focus.

Mina was out of it, too. That awful hypnotism spell had done her no favors. He let her sleep cuddled into his side while he stared at whatever amused him. The windows and the world outside them. The metal ceilings. One silver hair that sprouted from the top of Arikado's head. With little to entertain him, Soma was getting antsy.

The young man sighed. Really, he should be stocking up on his sleep, too. Then again, someone had to listen for when they needed to get off the train.

"Bored?" A gruff voice asked.

Soma nodded. "Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

The Belmont shrugged. "It's not a problem. When you get older, you don't need as much sleep." He lifted thick eyebrows, turning to face Soma. "Should we discuss my findings?"

"Your findings?" Soma echoed.

"The research I did through the Belmont archives regarding your offer of a gift from this cult," Julius explained.

Soma picked himself up. He tried to contain his enthusiasm, but it was difficult to keep it bottled down. "Yeah! Anything you can do to help me."

The broad-shouldered man rose from his seat. He moved around Mina, dropping beside Soma. From a leather satchel on his shoulder, he produced a white tablet device. Soma furrowed his eyebrows. Very few people used such electronics anymore. Computers were way more powerful than them, and cellphones were more portable. Then again, it was surprising that Julius hadn't plopped a dusty old grimoire into his lap.

Julius poked at the tablet's screen, then opened up a folder. Numerous scanned images lay before his fingertips. He started at the very top, producing an image of a stone as red as blood, pulsing with fire beneath its smooth surface. "This is the Crimson Stone. You may recall Arikado mentioning this before."

"Right," Soma nodded. "The source of Dracula's powers."

"Dracula was once a human like you and I. He was a powerful tactician, as well as a brilliant magician and alchemist." Julius spoke slowly, condensing as much information as he could. He kept glancing up, hoping no other travelers were listening in on their conversation. "He created this stone using the soul of a vampire to sustain its magic. By doing this, he not only gained eternal life and extraordinary power, but also the blessings and curses of a vampire's form."

Soma winced. "Geez. Wouldn't it have just been easier to get bitten?"

His question brought a deluge of information. "Vampirism is a tricky disease to get, believe it or not. First, a victim has to survive a vampire attack, which is no small feat. Then, their white blood cells have to be weak enough to be unable to fight off the contaminant present in a vampire's bodily fluids. This, of course, includes blood, saliva, and on the rare occasion—"

"Got it!" Soma cut Julius off. "Man. I didn't realize it was so complicated and scientific."

"What my ancestors considered magic is now well categorized and understood, thanks in part to their efforts." Julius smiled, his expression warm and dry.

Soma crossed his left leg over his right one, then leaned forward. "So, this stone. It's missing? Broken?"

"We're not certain." Julius frowned. "I can recall very little from when I destroyed Dracula's physical form. It is possible for another one to be created, but it would require someone to manipulate souls as well as you do. That, or intervention from Death himself."

"So, maybe not the Crimson Stone, then?" Soma scratched his head. "Well, what's the next item?"

Julius closed the sketch of the stone. He pulled up five more items. Soma's face scrunched up, recoiling in disgust. Even if the sketches weren't particularly well done, they were graphic. There were four body parts hacked to pieces—a shattered rib, a chipped fang, an eyeball complete with optic nerves hanging out its back, and a heart chopped straight from someone's ribcage. The last item in their company was a scarlet ring. Even that was splattered with gore.

"You are familiar with mummification practices by the Egyptians, correct?" Julius asked.

Soma gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Where they'd pull a person's brain out of their nose and stuff?"

Julius bobbed his head once. "The same was done to Dracula so that he could later be revived."

"Gross!" Soma shuddered. He shrunk himself down. "Why would I want that?"

"For the purposes of having a true resurrection." Julius grimaced, then gave his speculation. "As you are now, your human body isn't capable of the same amount of magic potential as Dracula's once was. Transferring his soul—yours—to a recreation of his body would result in a complete revival of the dark lord."

"But I'd lose my cute face!" Soma grumbled.

Julius chuckled. "That's what worries you the most?"

Frowning, Soma looked away. He tried to quiet his sickened stomach. "Maybe they're destroyed too. I mean, if Dracula had to use a complete reincarnation as a way to get out of the afterlife, maybe his original body is gone."

"We are making a lot of guesses, here. Nothing is concrete until we see what they are offering with our eyes," Julius agreed.

This was just sending them spinning in circles. Soma shifted Mina into a more comfortable position, then sighed. "There sure are a lot of items here."

"Of course. The dark lord had access to many treasures. Spells, stones, relics—this goes on for quite a while." Julius sighed, then closed the images of Dracula's organs. "There is one item that troubles me the most, should they offer it to you."

Soma tipped his head. "Why? Wouldn't I be able to refuse it?"

The Belmont gave one bob of his head, then brushed his ponytail back. "You would. Dracula, however, would not."

An underlying threat made Soma shiver. They were getting into something bad. Not that Soma ever expected Dracula to behave himself, but Julius' warning didn't sit well with him. He gathered his thoughts, wondering what the beast inside of him would want so badly. Was it something he really wanted to know?

No. He had to know. "Tell me."

Soma didn't know what he expected Julius to pull up. It wasn't what was presented to him. His eyes widened, pulse quickening. This wasn't any weapon or possession. Nothing repulsive or evil. Julius slid his tablet to him, letting Soma absorb what he was seeing. The boy's fingers trembled. He hurt, the corners of his eyes burning, but he didn't know why.

It was an old piece of artwork. Probably something from the middle ages. The image wrenched his heart in a painful contraction. This was a person—a man, though Soma could hardly tell that—lying in a coffin. He had a soft jaw line, delicate features, gorgeous hair that cascaded longer than that of most women. Soma's jaw clenched. The subject seemed so fragile. Who would have captured anyone in such a vulnerable state, in the boughs of eternal slumber?

"Who is this?" Soma asked.

Even when he tried to break the news as gently as possible, Julius was blunt. "Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes. A dhampir—half human, half vampire. The only confirmed descendant of Dracula."

Soma drew the tablet to his chest. "My—his son?"

"You must listen to me, Soma." Julius' voice lowered. He was stern, but calm. "Adrian is not in any danger at the moment. He is well aware of the threat against you. However, I can't guarantee that—"

"He's not dead?" Soma gawked. "Wait, he knows me? W-what does he think about me?"

Julius' eyes drifted away. He stared at the top of Arikado's lulled head. "He's terrified of you."

That was not the answer Soma was expecting. "Why?"

"Adrian stands in opposition to his father. He has been both a guardian and a charge of my family for hundreds of years. If not for his intercession, the Belmont clan would have died out." Julius bowed his head, his words no greater than murmurs. "If his father were to rise, he would do everything in his power to get his child back. Through subjugation—through his death—anything."

"So if I screw up and become Dracula, he'll be in danger," Soma nodded.

Julius gave a strained smile. "Well. He certainly won't be the only one." The Belmont let his head list. "I have no doubt that Dracula still loves his child. However, Dracula is a cruel, selfish being. He does not take loss with any grace. Losing the women he has loved—having his child betray him—it has sparked an eternal fury in his soul that still burns in you."

Such information struck Soma like a brick to his skull. He sank down. He knew that he was a threat and a burden, that any lack of control he had over his powers or emotions would end in disaster. But this? This was a strange new relationship he had yet to cultivate. That someone feared his very existence made him upset.

"Don't think too hard about it. Like I said—this cult has not taken him." Julius patted Soma's shoulder. "Just…should worse come to worse, and he ends up in their clutches, do not let Dracula take him back."

"Okay." Despite the anxiety building in his chest, Soma found himself laughing. "It's so weird. It's like…I don't know. Like I've got a new family member."

Julius huffed, his mustache prickling. "You think that's bizarre? He brings up my ancestors all the time. Talks about them like he just saw them yesterday, and it's been hundreds of years since they died!"

Soma straightened his back, then stroked Mina's hair. "Could you tell me more about him?"

Julius shook his head. "That will be for him to tell you, one day. And I will make him do it."

That wasn't the answer Soma was wanting. Still, he had hope. He had a new reason to fight, too. Not like the world's fate wasn't enough already, nor the warm head snuggled against his chest. He had this weird, wonderful stranger to meet. His situation was too strange to comprehend. Maybe he didn't mind his enemies running away from him, but not complete strangers. He was going to make this right. Even if it had to wait until after this cult was dealt with, he'd make sure that Julius' friend had no reason to ever be afraid of him again.

There were bigger things to worry about than shadows that ran from him.

* * *

Author's Note

Since I was a little late posting on Sunday, I thought I'd post super early today. It's only a fair trade-off, right?

I have a friend teaching in Japan who recommended Mount Osore as a location to investigate. It ended up working out super well! Hopefully, you'll find so, too.


	11. Chapter 11

This had to be a nightmare. But, he wasn't waking up.

Soma held a hand over his mouth. It wasn't enough to block out the rotting, decaying stench. Impaled bodies circled around him, propped up like decaying lawn ornaments. They sloughed and sank, flesh dripping off, bones torn away. Everywhere he turned, there were corpses. No train, no other passengers, nothing but the dead as far as he could see. The rest of the world was swallowed up in pewter mist.

He had to get out of here.

Legs pumped as he weaved around the impaled. This may have been Dracula's idea of a beautiful world, but not Soma's. No one deserved to be treated like this—to have their very body act as their memorial. He jerked away from one corpse, howling as an eyeball popped out and fell off. This was as terrible as his descent into the realm of Chaos, as his fight with the congealed monstrosity that was cobbled together by a curious copycat. There was no one to help him here. No encouraging words from his friends.

Just a tiny cry.

Soma lifted his head. No! No one could be so sick as to hurt a kid like this! He stilled himself, the blood pumping in his ears fading away. The shriek went up again. Soma rushed towards it. The sound grew louder, stronger than his heartbeat.

Over bodies, up a steep hill painted red and black with gore, Soma climbed. Rising above the mist was a crucifix. He approached it, praying for salvation. What he found atop the hill was a repulsive display. A hollowed, rotting corpse sank from wooden limbs. Its shoulders were broken, chest plummeted down. Its stomach had been ripped open. The contents of its chest and abdomen lay splattered on the ground. The only hint of what it had once been was torn from its head. Long, golden hair scattered in the wind.

The cry came from what was left of its fetid entrails.

Soma knelt down. He suppressed his own scream. Wrapped inside dead flesh was a bulbous, throbbing organ. Tiny fists were curled up within it. Soma pulled his sleeves back, then drove his hands into the gore. Rancid blood flowed beneath his fingertips. He grimaced, then felt around the contents of the bloated mess, searching for what lay hidden. Smooth shoulders. A round head coated in fine, wet hair. A cord. His stomach rolled as he pulled free the mewling creature trapped inside its mother's rotting corpse.

"A baby?" Soma gasped.

Not that he didn't know what it was. It just shouldn't be alive, left to the elements and buried in its mother's guts. He reached for his pocket. Faint light glimmered off the edge of his trusty knife. He cut the baby's cord, then tucked his knife away. Blood coated his front side as he pulled the child away from the gore that had once nurtured him. The poor thing needed to be cleaned, nursed, moved to some place warm and safe.

Soma shrugged off his coat, then laid the baby inside it. It was going to be impossible to get so much blood out of the white fabric, but he didn't care. He wiped its face clean. It gave another cry, then balled its fists against his hands. Despite the horror around him, Soma laughed. This little guy was a fighter.

Soma folded his coat around the baby. "You'll be okay. Mina probably knows something about babies. We'll take care of you."

The baby opened its eyes. Soma's legs went numb.

Gold. Vibrant, shining gold. His heart quickened, shuddered. He had never seen a human with eyes like this. They followed the tiniest of his movements, focused in a way a newborn could never do. It wasn't crying anymore, just watching him with eerie intensity. What was it? A human? A demon?

Whatever it was—it was still a child. He couldn't leave it.

He reached forward to coddle it when he crashed into hard, dirty reality. Soma yanked himself off the train's floor, gasping. His nose stung. He rubbed tender cartilage. Well, that was less than graceful. At least he didn't break it open or get blood all over the floor.

Big brown eyes blinked at him. "Soma? Are you okay?"

The young man nodded as he slunk back into his seat. "Yeah. Ow."

Mina put her fingers underneath his chin. She rotated his head, checking him over for any injuries. "You must have been really out of it. I've never seen you fall like that before!"

"I was having an awful nightmare." Soma straightened his coat, making sure his collar was folded correctly. "Well, most of it was bad."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mina asked.

Soma shook his head. "Not really. I mean, it was gross. But, there was this baby, and it was kind of cute." He scratched his scalp. "I'm probably just freaking out because of what Julius told me."

"What did he tell you?"

A low voice sent jitters through Soma's shoulders. He had expected the Belmont to be sitting by his side, still reviewing his notes and prattling on about things like Dracula's cursed toothbrush. He did not expect Arikado to have taken Julius' spot. Not that he didn't mind conversing with the agent, but he could scare the crap out of the poor kid. He glanced around the train, finding Julius parked between Hammer and Yoko. Soma sighed. Did he have to break up a spat between the witch and the arms dealer?

There was no point in lying to Arikado. "We were talking about Dracula's history. And…ah…did you know that he has a son?"

"Yes." The agent paused, then added. "Yoko knows as well."

"It just weirds me out." Soma's coat ruffled up with his shuddering. "I mean, Dracula's past is my past, so it's like I've got a kid now. And I'm totally not ready for that! I don't know the first thing about taking care of children."

"Soma." Arikado was exasperated. "You are talking about someone who is over six hundred years old. It's not as if you have to rear him."

Soma dropped his head, still sighing. "Even so. I've got Dracula's spirit, so I want to take responsibility for what he's done. I want to be there for his son—even if he really doesn't need me." His shoulders sank. "I hate thinking someone's scared of me, especially because of that jerk."

Mina stroked Soma's back. "You're a sweet guy, Soma. I think if this other person knew you, he wouldn't be so afraid."

He never knew what to say when Mina spoke like that. All he could manage to do was blush. If either of them was truly kind, it was Mina. She had taken in so much of Soma's wild life with great stride. Monsters, weirdos, strange castles and magic—she weathered it all with such grace. He was lucky to have a friend like her.

"Mina, what would you do if this happened to you?" Soma asked. "You're always so good about making others feel comfortable."

The shrine maiden tipped her head back. "Well, I suppose it's not the kind of thing you can send a greeting card about. But, maybe flowers or chocolates would be okay? Or a phone call? Maybe even offer dinner. I mean, once you show that you're a decent person, that should be enough to earn someone's trust." She curled her hand into a fist, then pounded it into her open palm. "Of course, there's one thing you could try!"

"What's that?" Soma asked.

"Whenever girls want to tell each other sensitive stuff, we play games. Like, Twenty Questions, Truth or Dare, or Never Have I Ever." Mina nodded, confident in her own conclusion. "Once you learn embarrassing things about each other, it bonds you together. It lets you know that no matter how weird or bad you've been, someone else still likes you."

Arikado's eyebrows went flat. "Mutual blackmail?"

Mina shrunk down, then blushed. "I suppose that's one way to look at it."

"I guess I don't know if a six-hundred-year-old half-vampire would even want to play games." Soma rubbed the side of his face. "Can you imagine what kind of fire hazard it would be to make a birthday cake for someone like that?"

The dark-haired agent's face fell. "I would assume you wouldn't actually put that many candles on a cake."

"Or you'd make a really big cake," Mina suggested.

Soma buried his face in his hands. This was getting to be too much. Here he was, supposed to be preparing for a fight with a bunch of Dracula's fanatics, and he was more worried about getting some stranger's trust. Then again, it was nice not to be concerned with what was awaiting him. Sometimes, all the worrying in the world just didn't make a damn bit of difference, one way or another.

Arikado bowed down, peeking through Soma's fingers. "You seem anxious."

"I just don't know what I'm going to do about anything," Soma said.

The agent pulled himself upright once more. He turned his attention to Mina. "What sort of questions would one ask, should they wish to play these information sharing games?"

Mina perked up. "Well, you start with small things, then get to the embarrassing stuff. Things like horoscopes, birthdays, or blood types, then crushes or people you made out with."

"Fair enough," Arikado nodded. "Soma, when is your birthday?"

Soma picked himself up. "C'mon. You know that one." The flush in his cheeks didn't fully go away. "October Thirteenth. On a Friday. So…kind of bad luck, I guess."

"But that makes sense! Seeing how everything's all supernatural in your life!" Mina cut in, quick to share her own. "Mine's on June Thirtieth. There's really nothing special about it, but I always liked it. After all, it's when most magical girls in manga have their birthday. So, when I was younger, I thought that meant I would become one, too."

A bright smile broke Soma's embarrassment. "That's really cute!" He turned to Arikado, then egged him on. "And yours?"

"The Twenty-Fourth of December," Arikado replied. "I don't like to celebrate it."

Mina screwed up her face. "I guess with Christmas and your birthday that close together, you might as well just lump them into one holiday, right?"

Arikado shook his head. "It's not like that. It just wasn't a particularly happy day."

"Ah, come on! It was your first day. Like, the first time you got to breathe and be held by people that loved you." Soma slugged him in the shoulder. "How could that possibly be a bad day?"

"The day itself was…less than ideal." Arikado sighed. "There was a terrible blizzard. My father was out hunting when my mother went into labor. She experienced some unexpected complications. She could not leave home nor call for help. So, she delivered me on her own."

Soma's eyes narrowed. "Complications?"

"She was bleeding out, and I was in the breech position," Arikado clarified. "She was a doctor and could handle such issues. Though, I suppose a caesarean with a paring knife was a bit extreme."

"What?!" Mina jolted back in her seat. Empathetic pains shot across her stomach. "I've heard that motherhood makes you super brave, but that's insane! Wasn't she scared of hurting herself? Maybe even you?"

"She thought I was dying. So did my father." Arikado's voice gave an unnatural crack. "I…I still don't know how, but he sensed we were in danger. Even blinded by the storm, he fought to get home. He stopped her bleeding and cared for me until she recovered. Had they not taken such desperate actions that day, both my mother and I would have perished."

Soma's face paled. "I can't imagine how scary that had to be for your parents." He brushed his hair back, his mind wandering back to his nightmare. It was one thing to dream about such a horror. Living it had to be beyond terrifying. "But, all's well that ends well, right?"

"I suppose." Arikado managed to work up a nod. There was a pang of pain in his heart. Soma truly couldn't recall a single thing from Dracula's memories. For once, that hurt. "It's your turn."

"Um. Yeah. Okay." Soma blinked. After a heavy story like that, it was hard to remember they were playing a game. "What's the one thing you're the worst at?"

Mina's face soured. "What kind of question is that?" She sighed, then sank down. "You know how you asked me yesterday about why I never went into kendo or archery clubs? The truth is I have terrible aim. Like, the worst. I always forget to compensate for the wind or I look at the wrong spot on the target. I'm lucky if I even hit the target!"

"I can see where you didn't want a gun, then," Arikado said. "That could be disastrous in your hands."

Reaching over Soma, Mina flicked one of Arikado's suit buttons. "Don't be a jerk! Come on. What are you bad at?"

Arikado chewed on the corner of his lip. "Singing. I can carry a tune, but my range is limited. Only toads seem to enjoy it."

"You think that's bad?" Soma huffed. "I'm the worst at dancing. Like, I think I get the steps all right, and then I start thinking about the music…and my partner's eyes…and how pretty she looks…and then I trip over her feet and knock her through a balcony."

"Really?" Arikado asked. "I always thought your cooking could use some work."

Soma rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! I've gotten way better at making curry since last time!" He crossed his arms, tone petulant. "Man, you give someone a case of food poisoning one time, and you never hear the end of it!"

Mina bristled, then glared at Arikado. "You were sick for only a night! I was out for months!" She curled up her fists. "Do you know what it's like to finally go to a dance? Like, get dressed up and learn how to do formal stuff, and get a shot at something out of a fairy tale? It took me so long to save up for that dress and take lessons! And then wham! Over a patio. Leg broken. No more summer fun."

"I said I was sorry," Soma flushed. "At least your cast was pretty."

The miko sighed. "Well, that was because you drew all over it." She tried to calm down. "Guess I'm just being bitter. I really wanted that experience with you, you know? Something sweet."

"Life isn't over. We can try again sometime," Soma smiled.

Arikado leaned forward. "Once again, I must ask—"

"Why we're not dating and getting married and blah blah blah!" Mina shut the nosy agent up. "It's not your turn to ask a question. It's mine! So…" She paused long enough to think of the easiest way to embarrass him. "First kiss. Go."

The agent's eyes widened. "Romantically?"

"What other context could there be for a first kiss?" The shrine maiden blew her bangs back. "Don't tell me you've got another traumatic story for that!"

When Arikado didn't respond, both Mina and Soma groaned.

Soma stepped up first. If the agent needed a little coaxing, then he'd put himself on the line. "Well, my first kiss was with Mina. I mean, it's hard not to want to kiss someone after going through a giant castle and saving their life. Seems like the right thing to do, if they want one."

Mina flushed. "It was really cute of you, too."

Arikado fought not to laugh. Both kids glared at him, then swatted him in the chest. Soma didn't have to be psychic to know what teasing the agent was thinking. After blowing a raspberry, he turned back to Mina. "That was your first kiss too, right?"

"Actually…" A deviant smile broke across the miko's face. "There was this cute boy in gym class. Saito Naoki. He said I was really good at the high jump, and he was a fantastic runner. Then, he said that I looked super cute in my gym clothes, so I knew he was totally interested in me. So, we got bored during class one day and—"

"You cut out of school to have relations with a classmate?" Arikado interrupted.

"What—are you going to tell my dad, you nark?" Mina grumbled. "Geez! I was just a little naughty once! That's it. Now, tell us about how you ended up making out with a succubus or something!"

Arikado gave a low groan. His thoughts were interrupted by snickering from across the train's aisle. The agent glared at Julius. That damned Belmont had been faking his sleep the entire time. Between this exercise in embarrassment and his big mouth getting Soma worked up, Arikado was starting to think a reprisal fight with the Belmont clan was in order. Not that it would have ended well for the flustered agent. The last thing he needed was to be strung up from a torii by the Vampire Killer.

"Soma? Remember when I mentioned having previous companions? We worked together to eliminate malevolent creatures." Arikado closed his eyes. "On one hunt, I was separated from them and caught by a monster. Specifically, an Alura Une."

Soma gave a sympathetic grumble. "Oh, man. Those plant ladies are so clingy! Always wanting to pick you up with their vines, and squeeze you, and grab your—Oh, crap."

"Wait, that's…Were you…" Mina pulled back, mortified. She didn't know what both men had been through in their adventures. Being hurt was awful enough. Given the context of their conversation and Soma's panicked face, she dreaded knowing what repulsive humiliation they had experienced. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's alright. I was rescued before any great harm came to me." The corners of Arikado's mouth curled. "One of my friends was a summoner. Maria. She was able to slay my attacker. When she looked me over to see if I was alright, she kissed my forehead. I don't think she realized what she had done. She was just that affectionate with everyone. But, when I reciprocated…"

Arikado closed his eyes, his smirk louder and clearer than anything he could shout. Both Soma and Mina flushed red. It was hard for them to imagine Arikado as someone who would be in a romantic relationship with others. Not that he was crass or unattractive. He was just so cold. To hear him talk in any way that was warm and open was shocking. And that the woman he spoke of was powerful enough to fight alongside someone as skilled as him—that only gave Mina more admiration for this gal. If only she had that kind of strength!

Mina hummed. "Wow! You have got to introduce us to her, some day."

Arikado's head bobbed. His expression fell into a stoic mask. "We've been apart for a long time. But...perhaps—"

"You are now arriving at Hachinohe Station. Please wait for the doors to open."

Three pairs of eyes glanced upwards. So, it was time to go. Arikado dropped their conversation, focusing instead on collecting what little he had packed. There was no time to waste. They had one more station to go, then a bus to catch. Soma sighed, then patted Mina on her left leg. Both young adults grabbed their luggage. Julius faked a yawn. He nudged both Yoko and Hammer, then started helping them with their things.

It felt good to be on solid, static ground once again. Soma took in a deep breath, then prepared himself. He had no idea what awaited him outside of the train yard. Still, he felt more confident. There were a lot of weird parts in his life, but he could handle them one chunk at a time. It was a trick that Julius, Yoko and Arikado learned to perform well. If Hammer was ever bothered by strange stuff, Soma couldn't tell. Even Mina was starting to get her bearings.

He'd get this cult swept up. Then, he'd try to get a hold of Adrian. If that guy turned out to be a jerk, then that was that. As long as Soma had his companions, he could make it through this. All he had to do was stay wary of their needs and watch their backs. That wasn't harder than fighting any demon.

"Nervous?" Mina asked.

Soma shook his head. "Not anymore."

* * *

Author's Note

Of all the chapters I wrote, this one is probably my favorite. Granted, it's basically two writing exercises I threw together to make a chapter, and it's probably not much more than filler in the long run, but it was a nice way for me to establish how characters worked with each other and made sense of what was happening to them. Sometimes, a little fluff is okay.

Today's subject for you to read about is Inés Ramírez Pérez. 'Cause damn, was she lucky.

While we're discussing that—standard midwifery does have techniques for handling breech births without a c-section. It involves careful maneuvering of the baby's limbs to get them out of the way, not stimulating it or hurting its abdominal organs, and checking for cord positioning. While c-sections were a procedure preformed in antiquity, it was usually reserved for cases where the mother was probably not going to make it anyway. Interpret as you will. I also watched a c-section on YouTube, 'cause hey! Research! It was...three minutes of wincing, one minute of going, "Wow!", and a minute of going, "Oh, God! Take it easy on that baby's head!"

Research gets messy.


	12. Chapter 12

They could smell the gates of hell long before they approached them.

It started as a faint trickle, a winding thread of sulfur. The odor built as the creaking tour bus brought Soma and his companions closer to the mountain's shrine. Incense fought to stave off the stench. It did no good. Spice was swallowed up by the pungent reek. Even a cloud of Mina's perfume did nothing to get rid of the rotten scent.

Pavement gave way to crunching stone. The well-tread ground was coated in gray, frail rocks. Vapors rose from the ground, carrying that gross odor with them. Water bubbled from stone heaps. It churned, rolling back and forth, ceaseless in its boil. Statues lucky enough to still have heads watched the tour bus roll in with ancient, empty eyes.

Hammer was the first off the bus. He took in the sights, studying the shrine's entrance. It was massive and ornate, its textures oppressive. Pinwheels spun near his boots. He kneeled down, watching them go in the wind. He flicked one, red and white blades mixing pink.

"Don't break those," Mina warned the American.

"What are they for?" Hammer asked.

Mina knelt down next to him. She straightened one of the pinwheels. "These are for the souls of departed children. They help mark the right path through here."

Hammer's thick eyebrows furrowed together. "Huh. Never would have thought that."

"Just be careful, okay?" Mina gave him a warm smile. "You should be fine, as long as you watch where you step."

"Don't drink the water around here, either," Julius teased.

Hammer scrunched up his face. Like he was that thick. Even with a beautiful lake in sight, he knew better than to mess around an area filled with sulfur. There was hardly a wave on the lake's surface. It was beautiful, blue, clear—devoid of life. It was good to see places like this. It showed him just how much he took for granted.

As other tourists walked ahead, Soma's group gathered together. The white-haired man led their conversation. "I'm not seeing anything really out of the ordinary around here."

"The area outside of this shrine is heavily forested." Arikado crossed his arms. "I'm assuming if we will find anything, it's tucked well out of sight of both shrine staff and visitors."

Mina nodded. "Should we take a tour? See if anything's up?"

"Sounds like a plan," Yoko agreed. "Then, we've got to head to Yagen Valley. It's wonderful up there. There are these hot springs that are amazing. Open air, warm—"

Hammer pursed his lips. "Bathing outside? I don't know about that. Sounds indecent."

Julius shook his head. If any of them were to pull something in a hot spring, he thought it would be Hammer. It was just as well that he behaved himself. Yoko would have fried him to a crisp, had he tried anything. The Belmont was more concerned with unfamiliar eyes spying upon them—especially more of those monsters that they had fought in Kichijoji. Maybe this relaxing hot spring idea wasn't such a great idea.

The Belmont turned his attention to the shrine maiden. "Mina. If you would be so kind as to lead us."

With a small nod, Mina took lead. She waved her group forward. Each approached the main gates, paying their dues as they entered. They passed stone lanterns, chopped up rocks. Soma squinted at the ground. He was mistaken. Some of the debris on the ground were coins corroded by the environment.

Mina stopped before one pile of rocks. Standing atop them was a monk statue built out of white stone. "Soma, do you remember this guy?"

"Ah! Jizo, right?" Soma replied. He turned to Julius and his friends, explaining the entity's role. "He's this monk that leads children through this place."

Hammer tipped his head. "With pinwheels?"

Mina pursed her lips. "That's more of a human thing." She smiled, then smoothed the front of her clothes. "He helps them build these rock piles, too. If demons come through here, he hides them in his robes."

"I'm lost—what are kids doing making rock piles?" Hammer asked.

The shrine maiden gave an uncomfortable stammer. "I-it's an act of penance. Most kids don't have enough time to do good deeds in their life, so they make it up here."

Arikado knelt down. He studied cracks around the statue's neck. It looked as if the figure's head was about to fall off at any moment. Not that it would have been the only headless statue around this place. Still, it was a bit sad to see it in such decay.

The agent turned to Soma. "Do you still have my handkerchief?"

Soma bobbed his head. He crouched down next to Arikado, then pulled the red material from his pocket. The younger man knew just what the elder was thinking. He reached forward, then draped the fabric over the statue's head. With a little tug, he tied the handkerchief with a strong knot. It was unlikely that the fabric would last long out here, but it felt good to set the statue right.

Especially now, when they needed a guide and guardian.

Mina gave them a moment before she spoke. "There are some neat pits ahead. Would you guys like me to show you to them?"

Arikado stood up. "If you would, Miss Hakuba."

The shrine maiden led her crew along. They passed more crumbling stacks of rocks and the deadened lake. Vapors followed their path. Yellow signs and steel chains blocked them off from getting too deep into the forested areas around the shrine. It didn't take a high level of kanji literacy to know to keep out of those areas.

Colored pools of sulfur bubbled from the ground. The scent built highest here. Some waters ran yellow, citrine—others bright red. One statue towered above a scarlet pool, feet untouched by splashing waters. Some yen floated across the bubbling, stinking waters. It was an uncomfortable area, heated and turbulent. Not a good place to get into a fight with cultists, if they were caught off guard.

"It's really strange to think of this location as a shrine," Hammer babbled. "The closest thing I can think of to this place is…I don't know. Yellowstone National Park or the Grotto of the Redemption or something."

Arikado narrowed his eyes. "I'm not familiar with the latter."

Hammer gave one short nod. "There's this place out in Iowa where this Catholic priest got sick. He promised that if he recovered, he'd build this monument to the Virgin Mary. So, he did—out of rocks and fossils and stuff. It's not as big as this place, but it's kind of neat."

"It's fascinating what people will do to show their faith," Julius murmured. "Of course, it's also amusing how strange they can be about it, sometimes."

"Hey—if I had to build a monument to God, using fossils might not be the worst idea," Hammer laughed. "Of course, I'd try to build one out of a giant dinosaur or something. That would really get people's attention."

Yoko shook her head. "I don't know if that would be such a good idea."

Hammer raised his hands to his mouth. "Look—you put a speaker system inside of a T-Rex's mouth, and then you start blasting Handel's 'Messiah' from it during the Christmas season. You can't say it wouldn't turn some heads!"

Arikado leaned towards Yoko. "And I thought the Morris family had aberrant behavior. Are all Americans like this?"

"Just the decent ones." Yoko nudged him upright.

The chattering group paused before a scarlet bridge. Running water bubbled beneath it. There was a hiss from the distance, and they shuddered. A lingering feeling of dread came over the group. There was something strange about this place. It was beautiful, but it carried some heavy feeling, weighing them down.

"What is this place?" Julius asked.

"The shrine keepers here believe it's the Sanzu River," Mina explained. "It's a bit like the River Styx for Buddhists."

Yoko fanned her face. "Does it feel weird here, or is it just me?"

"It's possible that we're feeling some effects from sulfur exposure," Arikado murmured.

Soma's posture relaxed. "So, that's what I'm feeling. Good to know."

"You have been awfully quiet." Mina pressed a hand to Soma's face. "Are you okay? You're feeling a little warm."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Soma smiled, but let Mina continue her fussing.

He was glad Yoko and Arikado had said something about how they were doing. It was strange, standing on a bridge between living and dead waters. He kept expecting some fish monster to pop up, or for a crow to buzz his head and caw at him. There was nothing here. Had he lead everyone on a wild goose chase?

Arikado studied Soma's demeanor. The young man was troubled, lips set tightly together. The agent echoed his expression. "You should let Miss Hakuba take you some place to rest."

Soma shook his head. "I'm fine. I just…" He sighed, then crossed his arms. "I don't know why we haven't been attacked yet. I keep thinking we'll be jumped on at any moment."

Julius placed one hand on Soma's shoulder. "It's not like you're going to get into a fight with a necromancer at high noon."

Mina leaned on her hip, then tapped her chin. "Have you checked your phone lately? Not that I want you to get any more creepy messages, but maybe that stalker girlfriend of yours sent you something."

Soma shuddered at the thought. If Mina wasn't his girlfriend, then this Beth person was super not his girlfriend! He turned on his phone, then waited a minute. There was a soft bing. Everybody groaned. Soma popped open the message, then smiled.

"False alarm." He showed the photo to his friends. "My mom got a new cat."

Both Mina and Yoko perked up. "Cute!"

Julius grumbled. They were making little progress out here. With the stern tone of a grouchy grandfather, he got everyone in line. "Let's finish our tour, then find a place to rest. Soma, keep your phone on. They seem to be little braggarts when it comes to their tasks, so you might as well listen to them."

"Alright," Soma agreed. "If that's okay with everyone else."

The group continued their walk across stony ground, white sands. Mina stopped once to clean up a rock pile. Soma sat next to her, then helped her stack flat pebbles. There was so much to her life that he never acknowledged. He had been so consumed fighting demons that he rarely stopped to wonder how most people dealt with the threat of death and decay. She spent her free time providing peace and fortune to others. Between the two of them, who had helped more people—the one who slew monsters, or the one who healed souls?

This wasn't a competition either of them would engage in. It was enough just to pile rocks for young spirits—whether or not they could fight off the demons that hunted them.

/***/

The ride out was long and dull.

Yoko spent her time listening to rocks crunch beneath the wheels of the tour bus. There was very little to occupy herself with. The cellphone and wifi signals were much too weak to do any texting or web browsing. Everyone around her was hunkered down, getting a little cat nap. It was hard to study the other tourists without feeling like a complete creeper. So, she focused on little things—road signs, plants, the odd similarity between Soma and Mina's hairdos.

Seriously. Save for Mina's bows, they were styled the same way. Like those two weren't dating.

She leaned on Julius' shoulder, then closed her eyes. Despite her outgoing nature, there were very few people she could trust while sleeping. Soma, maybe. Mina, probably. Arikado definitely, though he would rebuff any attempts at snuggling. Hammer? Big question mark with him. He wouldn't pull anything, but she didn't want to stoke a fire, either.

Her mind had just about quieted when the bus came to a soft stop. The undercarriage creaked, shocks too weak to stop all bouncing. Yoko pulled her head up. They hadn't made it to their destination yet. There was no reason the bus should have stopped. She stood up, leaning over Soma's head to get a look at what was going on. A white and orange detour sign was squatting in the middle of the road, pointing to the left.

Yoko narrowed her eyes. A detour? This far out? Where would they be headed, other than to Yagen Valley?

Dirt crunched beneath the tires as the bus went off the road. The bus slopped its way through a beaten path. Yoko scrunched up her face again. They were going completely off route. She slipped from Julius' side, then trekked to the front of the bus. All she saw around the path were trees and brush. Not even so much as little markers for the road's sides.

"Where are we going?" Yoko asked the bus driver. "There's nothing out here."

The driver answered her with an irritated, nasal tone. "A new place."

That answer wasn't enough for the curious witch. "Really? What's it called?"

"Ma'am, please sit back down," the driver groaned. "You're being distracting."

Yoko frowned. Of course she was. She pulled back, then returned to her seat. The last thing she needed was to start a fight with a guy that was just doing his job. Nor could she let her group get kicked off the bus. She wasn't satisfied with his answers, though. She reached into one of her totes, checking for her family's staff.

Broad shoulders moved next to her head. "What's going on?"

"We're off course," Yoko replied. "The driver's being dodgy."

Julius snorted once. "Figures."

Arikado shifted forward. He rested his chin on the back of Yoko's seat. "I would offer to scout ahead, but—"

Both Yoko and Julius knew the end to that statement. It was hard to find a private place on a bus to transform into fog or a bat. The last thing they needed was to startle people. Especially Soma. Yoko patted the top of Arikado's head. They were going to have to ride this out.

Julius lowered his voice, then whispered to his companions. "Keep an eye open."

Twenty long minutes passed before there was any sign of civilization. They rolled over fallen bamboo, broken statues. The faces of the guides along the road were so worn down that they no longer had features. A flash of metal caught the group's eyes. One pinwheel. Then another.

"We're definitely headed into a trap," Yoko sighed. "I can feel it."

Julius felt for his magic-detecting glasses. There was little he could do for finding willing attackers, but he would be able to catch any hypnotized persons. Everyone on the bus was clear. There was no one out in the brush that caught his eye, either. He was not one to doubt Yoko's intuition, but he could find no immediate threats. The best they could do was stay prepared.

The bus passed a collapsing building. At its front was a cola machine with a grimy front. There was still light coming from its guts. Yoko arched an eyebrow, then looked at Julius. They were coming closer to some civilized place again. Though, she didn't know what kind of supplier would come this far out into the forest to resupply a vending machine.

Brush cleared away. The strangest little establishment popped out of the forest. White houses were covered with black shingles. They were smeared with the stains of weather and time. Others were left torn open to the elements, like an animal's ribs left to rot and dry out. Dirt roads changed to crumbling asphalt. Old signs were rusted and crooked in the streets. Street lamps towered overhead, leaning forward at an odd angle.

A new place? There was hardly anything new about it!

Mina shifted in the seat before Julius. She glanced out the window, then pointed towards the sky. "Guys, do you see that?"

Behind her finger was a monstrous fortress. Other travelers gasped in awe at its sight. Roofs crowned with ornate animals piped up in steep peaks. White walls were girdled with black panels, sitting above stone walls. It sprawled on the side of a massive mountain. Winding below it were more walls made of smoothed rocks. It was something out of a bizarre fantasy, opulent and majestic. Something that should have perished at the beginning of the Edo period.

Old. Very, very old.

Wheels squeaked as the bus stopped. Passengers reached for their belongings, then began to shuffle out the door. Yoko and her company were less than excited to get moving. They followed the rest of the travelers to the front of a black building with molding roofing. Warm moisture floated into their nostrils. They peaked inside, finding terrycloth robes and sandals. Soma's face lifted. It was a resort with a hot spring.

"What do you guys think?" Soma asked.

Julius put a finger on his glasses. There was still nothing out of the ordinary. He couldn't calm his instincts, but there appeared to be no other choice on the street. At least the rates were reasonable enough. "If you want to stay—"

"Definitely!" Mina was charmed. "Isn't this place adorable?"

Yoko squinted. "That's not the word I'd pick for it, but it's got some charm."

"In or out," Hammer grumbled. "I've got to find something to eat, and I don't like to drag my crap all over the place."

Soma scratched the back of his head. "Well…might as well give it a shot."

Julius nodded. "Alright. But everyone keep together. We're in unknown territory." He turned first to Mina. "Keep with Yoko, no matter where you go." He shot another look over his shoulder. "Soma, with either me or Arikado. Hammer, don't—"

The American waved his hand. "Right, right. Don't go breaking anything, don't get drunk alone, don't hit on the waitresses. Got it."

Mina sighed. "Leave it to you guys to make a hot spring a nerve-wracking experience."

* * *

Author's Note

You should go search up some pictures of Yagen Valley. It is gorgeous!

Actually, while we're on the topic of Japanese locales—it's super rare to come across a Japanese castle that's intact. As far as I know, there are only twelve left. The battles that occurred during the Unification of Japan did many of them in. Throw in a couple of natural disasters and fires, and you can see why so few remain. I've visited Matsue's Castle (or, what's left of it), and let me tell you—it gets cold on the top floors!


	13. Chapter 13

A warm, humid air drew pinkness out of the cheeks of both the enthusiastic and the inebriated.

Hammer leaned backwards, letting his spine settle against the bar's counter. He had not expected such revelry from other tourists. If anything, he was supposed to be the loud, boisterous one. His laughs were coquettish compared to the roaring coming from one middle aged gentlemen. More people moved through the streets, wrapped in their own conversations. Bright color burst from run-down pachinko machines. The night was joyful, rowdy.

As long as they weren't this noisy in the morning, Hammer would be okay. Yoko would be cross at him for getting drunk, but that was a scowl he'd be willing to take.

Thick boots strolled to his side. Leather coattails were pushed back as Julius sat down on the stool next to him. He gave Hammer a nod, then placed an order to the bartender. "Asahi, please." He dropped a large, gold coin engraved with maple leaves into a nearby tray. It wasn't a minute later that he had his drink.

"I thought you weren't going to drink alone," Julius chastised his friend.

Hammer shrugged. "Well, I'm not now." He paused to take a swallow, then exhaled with a loud, satisfied sound. "Too bad you're not thirty years younger and female. Would have bought that for you."

Julius shook his head. "Glad to know the extent of your kindness."

Both men took their time as they drank. More laughter went up from jubilant men. One man sat back, mopping the sweat on his face with his tie. Odd how there was no formal business around here other than tourist traps, and yet, he was so done up. Hammer wrote it off as a cultural trait. Mina had her shrine's vestments, Arikado his suits. Only Soma was missing any sort of uniform clothing, and even he wrapped himself in his trademark white jackets.

The American was in the middle of another swallow when a piercing noise went up. It was a strange sound, like an animal's scream. He lifted his head. No, like a woman's. Both he and Julius bolted to the bar's door. They threw it open, staring down both paths in the street.

There was nothing out of the ordinary around them.

"Tell me I'm just drunk," Hammer muttered.

Julius grumbled in turn. "As soon as you tell me that was just an animal."

A hand tapped on their back. Both turned to find a young woman behind them. She was dressed in a short skirt and apron, hair neatly brushed and curled. The lady seemed a bit too young to be working at such a gaudy establishment. Unfortunately, that was probably what drew some customers in. She beckoned for both men. "You should come inside."

"Why?" Julius asked.

"You left your drinks full," she replied. "You should finish them before they get warm. Unless you want to buy more from us, of course."

Hammer lowered his eyebrows. Perhaps it was the employee's job to keep customers drinking as long as possible, but this was dodgy. "Didn't you hear that?"

The young waitress nodded. "Just foxes. Come! Drink."

Hammer shot Julius a look. The Belmont gave him the same glare. That was something wild and haunting, but it was no fox's cry. Both gave a polite bob of the head to the waitress, then took their leave. Her eyes widened. She scuttled out of the bar, but didn't dare pass into the street.

"Please, come back!" the employee called.

Both men ignored her pleading. They walked down the street, circling in front of their lodging. Fog followed their footsteps. It rose to their hips, blotting out anything it came in contact with. Even car lights were little more than flickering embers in the mist. One light shined brighter than any other in the town. Not even the powers in the sky could match the glare coming from the side of the mountain.

Hammer pointed up. "What's that about?"

The ancient fortress lording over the town was brilliant in the darkness. It was lit with red and gold light, cheerful and vivacious as any carnival. Julius narrowed his eyes. What was it doing lit up at night? Surely, there could be no tours this late into the evening. Yet, it was obvious someone was up there.

Julius turned back to talk with the waitress. "Miss? What is—"

The employee was gone.

A cold breeze passed through the street. Even with their coats, both men shivered. The noise from the tavern faded away. Pink and yellow neon lights died out. Apartments above stores went black. More lights disappeared, letting what little illumination came from the cloud-covered moon take dominance.

Such eerie silence and darkness sobered Hammer up. "We should head back to the spa."

"Yeah," Julius agreed.

They turned to head back when they bumped into another man. Both jolted. It was like he had sprung out of the shadows. He plowed ahead, lumbering in his gate. The stranger had no care for the two in his path. He had a place to be—as soon as he could stumble there.

Another shadow clunked out. Two more from the tavern. More from small houses, restaurants, and shops. They moved in the same slow, detached way, all determined to get moving upwards. It didn't take Julius or Hammer long to figure out where they were headed. The flock disappeared into the fog and forests, winding through a path lost to men.

All going towards the fortress.

"Think it's time to alert the kids?" Hammer asked.

Julius frowned. He tucked his right hand into one of his coat's pockets. He pulled out his silver-rimmed glasses, then slipped them onto his nose. Even in thick fog, flickers of supernatural power burned in his sight. Little blue and green fires danced through the forest. Some bobbed above the minds of stumbling men. Not all of the peculiar travelers had them, though. That wasn't reassuring to the Belmont.

The fortress pulsed with evil magic. It was blinding to look at. Julius snatched the glasses from his face. What had once been ominous intuition was now confirmed dread. "I hope you packed something big."

"How big are we talking?" Hammer smirked.

Julius tucked his glasses away. "An ICBM wouldn't be a bad start."

/***/

Warm water rose up Yoko's neck. She sank down, basking in the heat. This was just what she needed. Her sinuses were opening up, draining away the stench of sulfur. She laid her back against rocks surrounding the spring. A half hour in here, and she'd be good and ready for an ice cold beer. She sighed, then lulled her head. No, drinking was a poor idea. Really, bathing outside all together was just too risky right now.

At least she wasn't alone for very long.

Mina slunk into the hot spring. She kept her eyes peeled, searching around for any peepers. Yoko chuckled. It had been a long time since she had worried about being so modest. She had the scar on her stomach only because she was willing to forgo such prudishness. Of course, it didn't hurt that the hands that had stitched her together belonged to a dashing gentleman.

"How are you holding on?" Yoko asked.

Mina shrunk down. "Okay. Just a little nervous."

"It won't be as bad as last night." Yoko smiled, her face relaxed. "After all, you've got the boys and me here. We'll take care of you."

"I guess this sounds a little sick, but I'm getting used to being in danger." Mina rolled her shoulders forward. "I'm trying to do my best, but I can't help it. I feel like I'm worthless."

Yoko drew her head back. "Sweetie? After that tour you gave today? I'm surprised you don't have shrines everywhere clamoring for your attention."

Mina's face flushed red. Even if the steam wasn't getting to her head, Yoko's compliments were. "Well, there's certain things every shrine maiden can do. Like, fortune telling, praying, dancing, explaining stories. Things like that. I guess I feel like it's always my job, no matter where I am."

"I know that feeling." Yoko bobbed her head. Even with her hair drawn up, tendrils still dipped into the hot water. "Sometimes, I'll be alone, and I'll think about having to study my family's texts. Or I'll be walking at night and hear someone screaming, and I've got to be right there to help them. Usually, it's just people being rowdy at bars, but I never know."

Soft splashing followed Mina's movements. "I wish I could be as strong as you, Yoko. No one ever has to carry you around. You just fight and do your thing! The best I can do is hide in a dumpster until the situation blows over."

"Did you not see this?" Yoko flashed her scar at Mina. The young girl blushed, then hid her face. Yoko shook her head. Perhaps she had been a little too forward showing that. "Sorry. But, if I didn't have people that wanted to help me, then I wouldn't be here. Nobody's invincible."

"I know. I just want to be tougher," Mina sighed.

Facing the forces of the demonic and the undead on a regular basis was difficult for anyone, never the less a young girl like Mina. There was so much pressure on ladies to be strong as men—stronger, even. Such power was rarely recognized, once they had it. Even someone as feared as a Belnades witch was often ignored in favor of the Belmont's burly kin. Theirs was an uphill struggle. It wasn't surprising that someone could become bitter after fighting for so long. It was something Yoko would never let herself become. As long as she had her smile, she had all the spirit she needed.

"You don't have to fight monsters to be powerful," Yoko murmured. "If you want to learn? That's great! But Mina, there's more to you than how physically strong you are. You're so kind and loving. I'm not saying that fixes everything, but it goes a long way."

Mina shook her head. "That's just fairy tale stuff."

Yoko laughed. "Think what you want!" She lowered her head, eyes half-lidded. "Look at how much influence you have over Soma. Even the thought of losing you makes him crumple. But the second he thinks he can help you, he pushes himself to the limit. You're his fire, Mina."

"That's what scares me." The young girl's confession came softly. "I don't want him to give up because something bad happens to me."

She wasn't wrong to worry. That was a genuine weakness in Soma's personality. It was a cavity torn open in Dracula's spirit, raw and aching after centuries of anguish. Not to say that the cruel lord didn't have legitimate reasons to be upset, but after warring with humanity for nearly a thousand years, it was a bit overkill. And yet, the hypocrite still took the lives of girls, made them slaves to his whims. If anyone should have had mercy on women, it would be the man that lost his humanity over a woman's death.

Yoko crossed her legs. The toes on her left foot popped out of the water. "The first Belmont to fight vampires had a fiancée. Sara. She was a lot like you—kind, sweet, gentle. She was bitten by a vampire and doomed to lose her humanity. Faced with either a life of a soulless monster or her own death, she gave up her life. Her spirit endures in the Vampire Killer, protecting every Belmont that wields her. In turn, every Belmont since then has honored her memory and taken up the whip in her name."

Mina's face dropped. "That's so sad."

"Leon Belmont could have become like old man Dracula. But, he went on another path—to protect people so that wouldn't happen to them." Yoko smiled, though it was a little strained. "We've all lost people we've loved. Julius. Arikado. Me. But, we keep going. Being selfish hurts everyone."

"So, it's not only me that needs to toughen up," Mina nodded. "It's Soma, too."

Yoko agreed. "You have the power to make both yourself and him stronger, Mina. But, sacrificing yourself for him isn't an acceptable option. Just for your info."

Mina curled her fists. Did Yoko think she was that much of a meek pushover? She smacked a wave towards Yoko. The splash sprung hair from Yoko's up-do. The Belnades smirked, then sent a roll of water back. Mina shrieked in giddy surprise, then dove at her elder. It wasn't a few seconds later that both were locked in a pool fight. It wasn't the most relaxing or respectful thing to do in a hot spring, but it was fun. Hot water went up nostrils, rocks bouncing against soft heels. They continued on, fighting like childish sisters.

Yoko stopped her fighting when a black shadow blocked out light on the waves.

Perverts? Yoko pulled her head back. No. This wasn't like anyone else's form in the spa. It was hovering, bulbous. Sulfur flooded her senses again. One red eye reflected in the darkened pool. Her own widened.

"Run!" Yoko shouted.

Mina scrambled from the spring as a crackling tail whipped at the two bathers. Even a near miss still packed an awful sting. Yoko snarled, then crawled across the rocks. Her trusty wand was never far away. She snatched it up, then whipped it over her head. Fire followed in her wake.

Roasting flames caught disgusting flesh. The eyeball popped. Giblets rained down in thick, wet chunks. Mina screamed again, covering her head with her hands. Yoko stood in the gory rain that was once her attacker. She gave a low growl. The monster may have been little more than a nuisance to the good witch, but now she needed another bath.

She flicked a chunk of meat off her chest when frenzied knocking came from the door to the women's changing room. "Yoko! Mina! Are you okay?"

Soma to the rescue! Just about fifteen seconds too slow, but Yoko had to give the boy credit. She sprinted to the door, then slid it aside. "No problem. Just a peeper."

"Oh, geez! Yoko, cover up!" Soma turned his head to the left, catching a flash of bare skin as Mina dove behind rocks. Both shrieked, then ducked back in fright. Soma buried his face in his hands, trying to calm the red pulse raging on his face. Mina hunkered down, the same blush in her cheeks. He peeked once between his fingers, then turned back again. She was kind of cute like that, hiding behind stones and blushing. Almost like a mermaid caught sunbathing.

He burned at the thought. That was too cute. Way too cute.

An irritated huff from behind Soma cut his thoughts short. "Soma! What are you doing?"

"N-n-n-nothing!" Soma stammered.

Dark eyes glared through him. Soma lowered his gaze. Arikado sighed, then shook his head. Both had been drawn in by the same cacophonous blast. There was little reason to believe the young man was present for less than honorable reasons when both ladies were drenched in gore. He shrugged off his suit jacket, then placed it around Yoko's shoulders. "Be a gentleman, Soma. Go give Mina your coat."

"R-right," Soma agreed.

Soma whipped off his jacket. He hid his head behind it, then approached Mina. She snatched it from his fingers. Both swiveled around, flustered and embarrassed at the situation. It was several seconds before he got the nerve to peek over his shoulder again. Even then, it felt strange and wrong to look at Mina. Not that she wasn't cute in his coat. Maybe she'd like one, too. In pink, perhaps? Or would that clash with her hair?

Two sets of heavy footsteps plodded from the women's dressing room. Yoko lifted an eyebrow, then smirked. The last two valiant knights were coming to their aid. Both Hammer and Julius bounded in, huffing and flustered. She appreciated their efforts, but their hustle needed work.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hammer took one look at the hot springs and the women tucked in men's jackets, then sighed. "Looks like I missed a hell of a show."

Yoko patted Hammer's face. "Maybe you'll get lucky next time, sweetie."

"I didn't mean—not that I wouldn't enjoy…" Hammer groaned, then let the topic slide. "Do you want to tell me what the hell happened here?"

Mina jumped into the topic. She kept one hand clutched over her heart, as if Soma's coat was going to blow away at any moment. "There was another one of these floating eyeball things. Like the one that attacked Soma and Arikado last night. But Yoko took care of it."

Hammer screwed up his face. "It looks like you unloaded a damn RPG in its face!"

"So it made me a little mad," Yoko shrugged.

Arikado's eyes narrowed. "Then you can pay for any damages we're charged."

She was hardly intimidated by his sour nature. Leaning over, Yoko nudged the grouchy agent in his shoulder. "I'll get this dry-cleaned for you too, honey."

Julius slopped a hunk of flesh aside, then grumbled. "So, they're not waiting for us."

"Come again?" Soma asked.

"Hammer and I were on the town when we noticed some peculiar behavior." Julius lowered his eyes, staring directly into Soma's. "That fortress on the mountainside—people were moving towards it. Terrible amounts of evil magic are flowing from it."

Soma gave a low sigh. "And we're going to go investigate it, right?"

Yoko crossed her arms. "Not before we get dressed, we're not!"

* * *

Author's Note

Note to self: in the future, do not attempt passing the Bechdel test using a hot spring scene. Okay? Thanks. Bye.


	14. Chapter 14

It took the group half an hour before they were ready to go. Not that it took Mina or Yoko that long to get cleaned up from their attack at the spa. Weapons had to be put in order. Provisions for their evening excursion were packed. Hair was dried and brushed. With fresh clothes and alert minds, the crew hit the town.

"There's got to be a road up the mountain, right?" Soma asked.

Julius fussed with his glasses again. Between the darkened streets, the rolling fog, and the black forest, it was impossible to tell where the paths all ran. "I suppose we could continue heading this way until we run out of road."

"Or just follow the pinwheels," Hammer suggested.

Everyone glared at Hammer. Was the American losing it? Hammer scrunched up his face, then pointed at his feet. Slivers of reflected metal caught the slightest of light beneath the fog. Soma crouched down. Like little foil flowers, pinwheels were scattered across the street and into dark forests. A cold chill ran through him. Where had they come from? How could they make such a clear path without someone seeing a stranger put them up?

"Just like at the shrine," Soma nodded.

"Indeed." Arikado looked to Julius. "Let me take lead. Save your glasses for later."

Julius agreed. He tucked them away. "Go for it."

The agent's eyes shimmered in the dark. They caught Soma off-guard. It reminded him of a cat's shining eyes. He grabbed Mina's hand, then stuck to the agent's heels. Yoko and Julius followed him in turn, Hammer taking up the rear. It wasn't long before they faded out of the small resort town and into a climbing snarl of trees.

Mina stepped around one pinwheel. She sniffed, then shuddered. "Do you smell that?"

Soma's nose crinkled. "Sulfur."

"There may be more geysers around here," Arikado warned. "Watch your footing."

Julius was careful with his steps. He glanced around the forest, then focused ahead once more. The climb up was gradual. They rose out of the fog, away from the sleepy town. He studied what little there was to see at his feet. No path had been beaten through, save for the tiny pinwheels that sprung up. There were, however, more footprints.

"Secretive or not, you'd think a dirt road would be better than this," Julius grumbled. He raised his head, his grumpy thoughts continuing. "Anyone want to place bets on what kind of traps are ahead of us?"

"I could try scouting!" Hammer offered. He shook his attaché case. "Not that I'm as sharp as Eagle Eyes over here, but I've got a rifle with a night scope that should cover half a mile at the very least."

"Sweetie, metrics," Yoko teased.

Hammer's brain chugged. He slowed as he did some mental math. "Alright. About a kilometer. Happy?"

"When I'm with you all? Always," Yoko smirked.

Soma rubbed the side of his face. "Julius is right, though. We need a plan for when something bad happens."

Mina turned to face Soma. He looked pained, pale. "Are you okay?"

"I think the sulfur vapors are making me sick again," Soma grumbled.

His complaints got Arikado's attention. The agent stopped, studying both the terrain and the young man. A pressure was building in his eyes. He put a hand to the top of his head, then rubbed the space between his eyebrows. This wasn't just a reaction to sulfur. Not then, and now not.

"Be wary," Arikado warned. "There is something here."

Soma opened his eyes. The foil pinwheels around them creaked. They spun faster as a cold wind rushed through them. Mina shuddered, then clung onto Soma's arm. That black wind pressed onward, leaving distortions dripping through the forest. Little embers churned, then popped. One by one, ghosts faded in and out of existence.

There was a slap from the trees. Branches snapped off, then fell dead onto the forest floor. Julius yanked Yoko away from one limb. They searched the forest's canopy. There were no clear culprits. Snarled scraps of fabric dangled overhead. Severe winds tossed them about, tearing new holes. Both Mina and Soma kept their eyes above, watching the whipping cloth.

"Ittan-Momen?" Mina asked.

"I hope not," Soma replied.

Their murmurs left Hammer confused. "Translation?"

"They're a kind of ghost," Mina explained. "A bit like a poltergeist. They attack by—"

Another crash cut them off. Hammer jumped forward, his hand kept to the back of his head. A small scratch drew a faint trail of blood. Both Mina and Soma fussed over him. He waved them off as soon as he was collected. Something like a little old tree wasn't going to stop him.

"Dropping trees on people. Got it," Hammer nodded.

Julius shook his head. "They actually favor strangulation."

A blue flare lit the side of Arikado's face as he spoke. "We must be venturing into old growth. I would not be surprised if—"

Soma didn't catch the rest of that sentence. Something else had caught him.

The young man tried to gasp, but couldn't. Cold, thick material clung to his face. He swung his body wildly, finding no ground beneath his feet. His arms and legs couldn't move. They were numbed, freezing. There was a pressure on his head, whistling rushing past his ears, bitterness clogging his mouth. Whatever had attacked him was fast—blasting him away from his friends.

Where was this thing taking him? Soma couldn't think straight enough to come up with an answer. He had to stop his kidnapper. Power inside him flared as he used every soul in his possession to fight. Tiny bones tore at his captor's skin. Ghosts raked futilely. He released white magic from his fingers, letting lasers burst through. The monster surrounding him began to drip and sway. His vision did as well, his head floating in a tide of dizzying currents.

Cold terror engulfed him seconds before a swath of fire.

Soma dropped from the air. He landed on his face, skidding into a nearby tree. The last of his air was knocked from his lungs. He begged for one fresh breath. None slipped past the substance binding him. Shoes bolted through the forest, stopping next to his head. Fingers dug through the material, then pulled it back, letting his mouth and nose poke free. He took a huge, trembling breath. A fit of coughing followed. Such clean oxygen was painful in his compressed chest.

"Soma?" A quiet voice asked. "Can you hear me?"

The young man kept hacking. He spat up white gunk. "A-Ari-kado."

"Keep breathing," Arikado encouraged him. "I'll have you out momentarily."

There was a tearing sound from above his head. That strange substance pulled on his hair as Arikado tossed it aside. Soma struggled, finding the bindings around him loosening up. He felt like he was coated in glue. Feeling was coming back to his skin as Arikado wiped it off. Even the agent flinched while touching the substance.

"W-what is all of this?" Soma asked.

"A condensed form of ectoplasm," Arikado explained. "It can cause nerve damage in living tissue, so I need to get this off you at once."

Soma rolled his head back. "A g-ghost just kicked my butt?"

Arikado raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Like Mina said—an Ittan-Momen."

"S-she wasn't being s-serious!" Soma huffed.

"Just relax." Arikado pitched a burned chunk of ectoplasm away. "The others will be catching up with us shortly."

The young man closed his eyes. It was too weird to watch Arikado work on him. He wriggled his fingers, still trying to tear himself free. A new source of coldness caught him across the throat. Soma lifted his head. A small chain had slipped free from beneath Arikado's tie. It was a strange piece of jewelry, something a bit too garish for the subdued agent. Small charms were strung along the links. Some looked like simple stones. Others glowed softly, marked with black forms. Clouds. Bats. Wolves. Things of a stormy, haunted night.

Soma chuckled. He reached one cleaned hand up, then pushed the links into Arikado's shirt. "D-didn't think you liked s-shiny things."

"Everyone has their vanities," Arikado smirked. "Thank you for fixing that. I would be displeased if I broke it. It's seen me through some rough times."

"S-something from M-Maria?" Soma teased.

The agent gave him a sly glance. "And if it was? I think you are in no position to mock me for having a lady's favor, he who constantly receives good-luck charms from shrine maidens."

Soma's head lulled. "I-it's not like that."

Of course, the distant cry calling for him didn't help his case. "Soma! Hold on!"

He sighed. Leave it to Mina to prove him wrong with his own name. It wasn't long before white boots shuffled to his side. Mina dropped onto her knees, then put her head on the forest ground, looking at him with wide eyes. He would have hugged her, if that wouldn't have messed her up. Hammer was bounding behind her, Yoko and Julius coming in just a few paces afterwards. Seeing them again made his breathing easier, his heart rate steady.

"Did you just get owned by a towel?" Hammer laughed.

"Don't tease him!" Mina scolded Hammer. She set to his aid, picking up a piece of the white substance. She gasped in shock, then flicked it off her fingers. "Ah! Cold!"

Yoko shook her head. "Easy, honey. That's raw ectoplasm." She tore away a crispy bit, then wriggled it. "How are you feeling, Soma?"

"F-fine," Soma replied. "Just very c-cold."

"You're lucky Arikado's a crack shot," Yoko beamed. She slugged the agent in the shoulder. "You've got to teach me how you get the distance on your fireballs."

Arikado almost smiled, but shook the grin away. "It's merely practice."

The group finished cleaning Soma off. It was wonderful to be able to breathe fully again. He rolled off the ground, debris sticking to his back. Mina smirked, then dusted him off. Arikado and Yoko followed in turn. A low fire glowed in their hands—not intense enough to burn Soma's clothes, but enough to slough off the last of the ectoplasm. After being drowned in the freezing substance, it felt good to be warmed up again.

"I suppose we're really lost now," Soma sighed. "Sorry, guys."

Julius grumbled, then nodded towards the ground. "Not really."

A new pinwheel sprang behind Soma's feet. It unfurled from the ground, like a flower blooming in swift time. Another popped up a few meters away from it. Swiveling rustled through the night wind as the pinwheels' blades started moving again. Everyone groaned. No matter where they went, someone was yanking them along.

Hammer was having none of it. "This place is messed up."

"Let's keep moving. Just…um…" Soma's commands paused. The young man slipped his right hand into Mina's left. "Buddy system?"

Mina's face flushed. "Right!"

Hammer was down for that. He grabbed onto Yoko's hand. She shot him an annoyed glare, but didn't otherwise fuss. Both Julius and Arikado gave each other a doubting look. The Belmont raised a hand, then pushed Arikado towards the front of the group once more. Soma was asking too much of them. It would be more dignified if the dhampir rode on his shoulder as a bat than if they went skipping through the forest holding hands. They were both too damn old to be doing something like that.

Rustling followed their footsteps as nocturnal animals cleared out of their path. Every couple of minutes, there would be a flare from Yoko or Arikado's fingers. Neither were having any more tricks tonight. As far as Julius was concerned, they might as well have been trumpeting their arrival. At least nothing else was dragging them off into the woods.

Moonlight broke through the trees. Tottering monsters weaved through the grounds, undisturbed until the very moment someone sent them splattering across the woods. More members of the undead ambled about their way. Arikado's nose turned up. "That necromancer must be nearby."

"That one that attacked us last night?" Mina lifted her head. "I still can't believe we escaped all three of those magicians!"

Arikado frowned. "I suppose the most prudent thing to have done was kill them. However, Soma and I were more concerned about your safety."

"We'll stop them this time," Julius grumbled. "Even if we've got to do it the hard way."

Soma's shoulders slumped. "It just stinks. It's one thing to fight weirdos like that Maruki guy, but those ladies? They're probably no older than Mina and me! Why would they get mixed up in something like this?"

"When people get involved in cults, they're looking for meaning in their lives. By enduring tough rituals and living conditions, they come to think they're better than everyone else." Yoko's face pulled. "Of course, a lot of times, men set these sorts of things up just so they can rob the gullible and have a lot of sex with people who have guilty consciences."

Everyone cringed at her statement.

Hammer cracked his neck. "Maybe we should leave the finishing blow to Yoko. After all, she's pretty good at taking care of problems."

"Oh sure! Make me the girl murderer!" Yoko shouted.

Soma winced. "You know, we didn't have to kill that Dario guy from the With Light cult. Maybe we'll get lucky and just depower them or something."

Julius patted Soma on the head. "You're a good kid." He pulled back, then sighed. "We'll be lucky, if we can be that kind."

"It's too bad your Dracula powers don't come with picking up lots of chicks," Hammer yammered. "I mean, that's the way it works in the movies. He's always got women swooning in his arms. That guy had to have been a player. If you could do what he did, then you could probably just bat your eyes at them or something, and they'd fall right into your lap!"

The glare shared between Mina and Arikado was fierce enough to start a forest fire. Hammer backed down, gritting his teeth. Maybe that had been a touch too far. He could see why Mina would be flipping out, but Arikado as well? There was a strange one. Then again—the American didn't quite know what to think about him. Yoko seemed to like him an awful lot, but the latter didn't return her affections in the same way. He was a bit too fussy, way too groomed for the average man. Maybe he had something for Soma that went unspoken.

"Not that you would do such a thing, Soma." Hammer backed down.

Yoko patted on Hammer's shoulder. "Hush now."

A wave of words crashed out of Hammer's mouth. "I was just trying to say that—whoa."

Tattered buildings skirted the edge of the fortress. What little of the structures remained seemed like wooden ribs left gutted and exposed to the elements. From their ruins came glowing lanterns, spiraling will o' the wisps. Poltergeists, of a sort. Dirt paths wound through the destroyed village. They wound up to stone walls girdling the mighty fortress that they had seen from the resort town.

Soma kept staring. It was like a bizarre fairy tale come to life, something that should have fallen long, long ago. Clouds circled the peaks of the fortress and the mountain it rested upon, letting only the moon peek inside. This castle wasn't something practical for warfare. It was a showpiece, a location for some garish warlord to keep fair maidens hostage.

Dracula would have loved this place.

/***/

There was an energetic pulse beating within the monsters guarding the fortress. Miyu could sense it, empty skulls rattling in her brain. Floating eyes swarmed the central keep, all seeking their summoner. Beth took one by the tail. The images they shared with her were the same that flooded Miyu's thoughts.

Soma Cruz and his companions were here.

Both girls trotted off to the find their master. They weren't five steps onto a sprawling balcony before Chika joined as well. She wouldn't do something as undignified as running about without an explanation. "What's the rush?"

"Soma and his companions have arrived," Miyu replied.

That got Chika's attention. She smirked, then jogged up to her fellow cult members' sides. "Your little trap didn't work, hmm?"

"No." Miyu was less than concerned about her troops' failures. "At least he is here. We can separate him from his friends. It should not take much effort."

All three bounded to a sliding door. Its front was painted with the faces of ancient, ghastly demons. Incense floated through the walls and cracks. Beth knocked against the wooden frame. The door was shoved aside, smoke curling around their legs. Maruki lowered his stance. There was a bright gleam from the moon caught in his teeth.

"What is it, my girls?" Maruki simpered.

Chika broke the news. "Soma's here. He's brought his friends, too."

Maruki clapped his gnarled hands together. "Then we haven't a moment to lose." He leaned forward, giving orders to Chika first. "You and Miyu need to sustain an offensive front. Catch our lord's host, when you get the opportunity. Understood?"

"It will not be a problem," Miyu said.

"As for you…" Maruki turned to Beth. "Go and prepare our sanctuary. You shouldn't have to wait for us very long."

Beth bowed. "I understand."

The cult leader gave his girls a wild smile. He scooped them up, giving each a hug. "It won't be long, my ladies. Dracula will have his home with us again."

"And the power we deserve," Chika smirked.

Of the four, her faith was the strongest. Not even Maruki would dare be so cocky as to be assured of his reformed state. Still, it was worth the risk. Such rich rewards couldn't be thrown aside—strength, respect, rapport between others like them. Perhaps even affection denied to them as humans. It could all be theirs.

Beth folded her hands. There was no ceremony without her spells and contributions. She gave one last curtsy, then went to prepare herself for the night's main event. Chika left as well—not for any grand preparation on her part. Just to dress up and flaunt her charms against her opponents. Miyu was not certain where to go. She gave her master one last curious look, then glanced into the courtyard. Ghosts were stirring, zombies groaning, skeleton knights searching for the pack entering the abandoned buildings on the fortress' outskirts.

Maruki put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you nervous, Miyu?"

"Concerned," Miyu murmured. "Soma is a troublesome opponent. Some of his companions, worse. And this uncertainty with our ritual…could it work?"

"I have no doubts in it. We shall reawaken our sleeping lord. As for what will become of us? It's a little less clear." Long fingers rubbed her nervous neck. "The path to heaven is paved with hard work, my child. And you have worked so hard. Surely, you will have fair payment for your efforts."

Miyu kept her face fixed forward. "Very well. I will send servants to greet them."

"Good," Maruki grinned. "Make sure they don't leave."

* * *

Author's Note

So, here's the scoop. I kinda, sorta, just a little bit had a change of heart for the next few segments. Basically, I'm writing a fourth of my story over. Again. I think it'll be worth the effort, but that's the key word—effort.

I don't anticipate any delays in updating, but I did want to alert you all of the changes, just in case. Additionally, I will let you know if I posted scrapped content on my Tumblr account. 'Cause hey. Can't throw away all that work.


	15. Chapter 15

Julius stood in front of the towering fortress, stone-faced and bathed in moonlight. Such a picture had been painted dozens of times before. It was the way most tales about the Belmont clan began—with a man, a whip, and a monstrous castle looming above him. The faces and places changed, but never that composition. Nor the images that followed, of men bounding up stairwells reaching for heaven and castles crumbling at the first streak of dawn's light.

At least he did not stand alone.

"Everyone ready?" Julius asked.

The hunter had no fear in his heart. He was bred for adventure, armed with infallible ancestral weapons and wit. Both Yoko and Arikado were equally prepared. Instincts in Hammer's blood fought against each other. Fear fell to triumphant bravado. The same collapse happened in Soma's heart. He was worried more for Mina than himself. Still, if the determination in her eyes was anything to go by, she was ready to finish this ordeal.

"I think so," Soma nodded. "You guys know the drill. You see any spirits pop out, send them my way."

Arikado stopped. He drew his sword once more, then offered it to Soma. "Would you like to use this again?"

Soma shook his head. "It's an awesome sword, but you should keep it."

"I will not be at risk without it." Arikado's words were firm, forceful. "You wouldn't refuse a gift, would you?"

"Chill, MIB. A modern war requires a modern weapon, and I got just what our man needs." Hammer waggled his attaché case at Soma. He sat down, then cracked his briefcase open. The group gawked at what he had crammed inside it. A shotgun, a hunting rifle, a pistol, boxes of ammunition, grenades, flashbangs, a first aid kit—even a rocket launcher! He was on his own wild mission, ready to strip down any military complex and rescue those trapped within.

Yoko's eyes widened. "Remind me to call you the next time I have to move."

Hammer yanked out the pistol, then passed it to Soma. "Onward, soldier! And while I'm at it—" Hammer grinned, then tossed a flashbang to Mina. "Just for emergencies, little lady. Be careful not to blind yourself."

The young girl gave a nervous laugh. "I'll try not to."

Arikado sighed. Such a weapon in a newbie's hands was going to get someone hurt. He gave Julius an irritated glare. The Belmont was of an opposing opinion. If they had to be so foolish as to drag a young girl into a fight, he would make sure she was armed. He reached into his jacket, then passed Mina two weapons. They weren't much—a dagger and a vial of holy water—but they would be good enough for any beginner.

Julius cracked his knuckles. "If there are no further objections…"

A Belmont never knocked at the door of a demon's castle. He always had to crack it open. With one flick, the vampire hunter wrapped his ancestral weapon around a jutting column. He pulled the whip tight, then leapt up. Strong legs ascended the wall as Julius braced his back against his whip. A marvelous feat of strength, without a doubt. Completely unnecessary, too. Arikado glanced at Yoko, eyebrows lowered. The Belnades witch caught his silent question. She held up her hand, then let the old Belmont do his work. The bat trick could wait until another situation required it.

"Get back!" Julius ordered.

Soma and his companions backed away. They waited for the doors to fling open. What they heard instead was multiple cracks. Soma gasped. Julius was in a fight! He searched along the walls for oncoming enemies or the Belmont. All he found were silver glints of light, shuddering skeletons armed with bows. He balked again. Snipers? Geez, had they picked a bad way to enter this place!

Soma pushed Mina behind him. "Stay down!"

The entire company opened fire. Yoko was the first to strike. Hissing balls of electrical power burst through the windows. White skulls lit up with jittering light. Fire was quick to follow. Arikado's aim was sharp as always, incinerating three separate foes with one blow. Soma was no slouch, either. He readjusted the power inside of his body, finding the beam skeleton's soul attached to him. With a clap of his hands, a beam of light burst from him. The only sound that disturbed his aim was that of Hammer's rifle going off. Even a mundane, run-of-the-mill weapon was more than enough to suppress the undead.

Heavy doors unfurled from the fortress' barricading walls. Julius burst through them. He dragged a horde of zombies with him, rending them to pieces. The old man gave a sharp whistle. His youthful charges zipped after him, ready to close the gap. Damned if their covering fire wasn't good. Hardly needed, but appreciated.

"I guess we're not going to be doing this quietly," Julius smirked.

Soma cringed. "Well, we're not ninjas."

Yoko bobbed her head towards the guts of the fortress. "Looks like they've got more doors up ahead. We'll have to—"

Julius cut her off. "You mean, I will have to, right?" He teased the witch. "Keep an eye on the kids."

With a single crack, Julius pulled himself into the barricading walls once more. Yoko and Arikado sighed in a low chord. For a man his age, Julius was too keen on charging head-first at problems. Yoko was used to him doing this by now, but it didn't make her any less frustrated. At least he was talented enough to work his way out of most problems.

The front gate opened to a meticulously groomed garden. Part of it seemed as if it were cut out of nature, asymmetrical trees and rolling water flowing in the wind. Another section opened into a winding stone garden, complete with waves of sand. Sulfur bubbled from the earth. Bones leapt with it. At once, an army of the dead rose, called again from the earth to serve a new lord.

Soma smirked. If they were meant for him, he would have to send them back.

A bony dragon bounced from the garden. Dust bloomed in its wake. Soma broke through the disturbance, not waiting for it to close the gap. Concussive light from his hands blasted through the dragon's spine. It threw its head upwards, then crashed down, lifeless.

Skeletal soldiers clambered towards him. Hardly a threat at all. The rest of the group bounded to his side, ready to help him clean up. Yoko dashed the company of soldiers to pieces, piercing ice fanning out. Hammer kept close to her. His rifle provided sharp percussion to the battle's march, peeling enemies away one corpse at a time. Arikado wasn't wasting his energy with any fancy spells. He cut one target down, then slashed through another, sparing a short glance at Soma. Mina edged behind him. She stuck by Soma's side, watching everyone work with bright eyes. Soma smirked. He took her hand, then prepared to pounce.

"Ready?" Soma asked.

Mina knotted her eyebrows. "For what?"

She shrieked as Soma dashed forward. The young man pulled the shrine maiden through a cloud of sand. Both ducked as bones flew over their heads. Soma found their target—a ring of skeletal warriors. He closed the gap between them. Mina shrieked as empty eyes focused on them, preparing to open fire once more.

"Now!" Soma shouted.

Mina shot him a look. "Now what?"

He winced. Mina was spiritual, but not psychic. He forgot that she didn't think like him. "Throw the holy water!"

The miko yanked the small vial out. With one overhand toss, she lobbed the jar. It landed towards the front of the circle. Blue fire blasted out, snapping against undead bones. The skeletons struck by the flames burned out of existence. Soma leapt over what was left of the foes, whistling as he attacked. His ghost familiar came to his call. While he finished one enemy off, it possessed the other, shaking bones to pieces.

One more rounded on Soma. A shining knife leveled it.

"Oh my goodness!" Mina squealed with surprise. "I hit it!"

Soma gasped for breath as Mina retrieved her dagger. He was surprised he still had the tip of his nose. "Little close there, Mina."

The miko gave an exasperated sigh. "Geez, Soma! I'm new to this."

"I know." It wasn't fair to expect her to be perfect. He could give her an ego boost, if nothing else. Soma raised his palm. "High five for exorcisms?" Mina grinned, then slapped his hand. Had this been a goofy little game and not an assault on the undead, such an action would have been accompanied with cheerful music.

The beep from Soma's pocket didn't bring such joy.

Mina and Soma froze. That was his cellphone. Why was it going off now? Or how? The cell service out here was terrible! He snapped the phone up, flipping to his messages with lightning speed. The shrine maiden watched his back as he read his latest message. She jolted as a shadow passed through the gardens, cleaning blood off his blade with an irritated flick. Mina was familiar with the frustrated glare in Arikado's eyes. It was the look of a run-down babysitter, an overwhelmed parent.

"Keep with the group! We've already breached the second quarters!" Arikado scolded the pair. He narrowed his gaze on Soma's face. "And what have I told you about texting during battle?"

"It's that weird stalker lady again!" Soma shouted. He groaned, then shared his phone with Mina. "And she's looking very strange."

The agent huffed. He withdrew his blade, then stormed around the pair's back. He had half the mind to cut that damn thing in two. Glaring over Mina's shoulder, he got a peek at what they thought was peculiar. The angry storm brewing in him went cold. It got into his joints, locking him up. Mina slipped the phone in his hand, but he could hardly hold onto it.

It wasn't a very clear picture. The lighting was much too dark for whatever camera had taken this image. Low fire burned just outside the frame, sending a soft aura spilling along the sides. Stone walls surrounded black-painted columns of wood. Some sort of outdoor shrine, from the looks of it. Three grooves were cut in the floor of the shrine, red-stained water flowing into a central pool. Kneeling at the edge of that was a young woman. She long, blonde hair pulled back, wound with black ribbons. Her placid expression, her gentle pose—it was an imitation. A mockery.

A parody that made Arikado freeze.

Thin arms pushed him backwards, snapping him out of his trance. Horse hoofs erupted from the sand, marring his footprints. Mina squeaked, clinging to the agent's jacket, surprised with how close the undead horseman had come to trampling Arikado. Soma ended the rider's stampede with two short shots. Yellow light burst from the slain beast, popping into Soma's body with an elegant spiral. He spun around on one foot, giving both Mina and Arikado a thumbs up.

Arikado nodded his head, neck numb. Those kids had saved his backside. "I can't believe…" Shell-shock was slow to leave him. "So, that's this cult's game."

"You're going to have to be way more specific," Soma ordered.

Arikado opened his mouth to speak. A roar of pain silenced him.

The three crowded together in the garden gasped. That was Julius! They searched for the grizzled fighter, frantic and panicked. Sharp eyes caught the snap of a brown leather coat from on high. The Belmont was clutching his side, driving back his attacker with strikes too limp for one with his namesake. All three gasped as he stumbled on clay-tiled rooftops, awkward steps followed by flashes of green magic.

Mina shivered at the presence of Julius' attacker. "No!"

Lightning leapt into the sky. Julius pulled back as electricity came to his defense. They drove the sorcerer attacking him backwards, frying his feet. Yoko bolted forward, watching Julius with wide eyes. Hammer wasn't more than two steps behind her. He trained his sights on Maruki's chest. Gunfire was stopped only by a quick pop of magic, a ball of green glass sending the shot scattering into the fray.

Yoko snapped on her heels, addressing Arikado. "Get up there and help him!"

"As you wish." Arikado didn't waste a second. He grabbed the right cuff on Soma's jacket, then dragged him forward. "Stairwell! Now!"

Zombies followed them as they dashed towards steps leading into the fortress. Arikado blasted them back, letting Soma escort Mina inside. There were too many enemies, forces churning in all directions. More undead were ambling behind Yoko and Hammer. Neither let up. Yoko protected Hammer's back while he lined up another shot. Even with a wave of ice piercing through the crowds, Arikado worried for their safety. The witch gave him a dirty glare, then nodded him onward. There was no time to doubt each other.

Soma pulled everyone on point they hopped onto the stairwell. "So, what are these weirdos doing now?"

"Julius' family has a specific weakness to this kind of magic," Arikado explained. "He's been trained to fight against it and bears charms to protect himself from it, but if he falls—"

"I know. Bad news," Soma finished Arikado's sentence. He pushed onto his other concern. "What's up with my stalker, though? Why is she looking so strange?"

If there was no time to discuss the history of the Belmont clan, then there was no way they could cover the entirety of what was messed up with the lady that kept harassing Soma. Arikado didn't have the time or energy to filter his thoughts. He worried not only about how the young man would react, but the lady in their tow as well. The pair could deny their bond all they liked, but it was present. Such information could hurt their precious friendship. Not telling them the truth would put them in physical danger. This discussion was going to be painful, but it was better than either of them being wounded by ignorance.

Arikado let it spill from him in one blurt. "She thinks she's your wife."

Soma gagged on the answer. That stalker—his wife? He was way too young and free-spirited to be thinking about something like that! Even if he wanted to get married that very second, there would be no way it would be with anyone who threatened his friends. If anyone, it would be someone that had always been there for him, even after finding out what horrible darkness lurked within him. Someone with a bright spirit and big, brown Bambi winkers.

"I'm used to people having crushes on me, but—" Soma winced.

"You misunderstand me," Arikado said. He rounded a corner, cutting a zombie soldier down. "When I mean your wife, I mean the reincarnation of Dracula's wife."

"No!" Mina shrieked. "T-that's impossible!"

Arikado jerked back as a lance jutted from the hallway. He tried to explain the situation to Mina as he fought off their attacker. "I thought Soma's existence an impossibility. Yet, here he is." He groaned, struggling to shove the weapon back. Soma pressed forward. The pair yanked it free from the spearman. As Soma sent it blasting into hellfire with a single flick of his powers, Arikado turned back to Mina. "It is possible that his wife has reincarnated once more, though I pray it's not true."

"Wait—once more?" Soma huffed.

"Dracula believed that he married the same woman twice, though in different lives," Arikado explained. "He lost his first wife to an undocumented illness. When he took his second, he did so because he believed her to be the reincarnation of his long lost love. For a time, that was enough for him to placate him and halt his war against humanity. After her execution—"

Both Mina and Soma gasped. "What?"

Arikado didn't dare say more on that subject. His throat hurt at the very mention of it. "Soma, no matter what happens, I want you to know this." He grabbed onto Soma's shoulder. His hands were shaking, fingers cold. "You may bear Dracula's soul, but not his destiny. You are not bound to repeat his actions. Do you understand me? You are free to live however you please with whomever you choose."

"Yeah. Sure. Got it." Soma slipped from Arikado's grasp, confused by the agent's sudden touchy-feely behavior. "Are you okay? I've never seen you so worked up."

Words died on Arikado's tongue. He looked away, frustrated and ashamed for his failure to keep himself in check. He had said too much to Soma. The young man was overloaded with problems. Arikado didn't need to give him the burden of his fears as well. He rushed up another flight, checking to see if the hallways were clear. They didn't need to be dragged down by any unnecessary baggage—no more run-of-the-mill enemies, no more facts, no more emotions.

His silence worried Mina. "Arikado?"

"We're at the top of the stairwell," Arikado replied. "We're still a floor short. There must be access to the roof nearby. Hurry!"

Soma and Mina clambered up the rest of the stairs. They were barely at the top when Arikado bolted through an open hall. Soma sighed. The agent was being flighty. If he was thinking about pulling the same crap he did last night, Soma was going to beat him in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper. Whatever was wrong with him, Soma had to find out now.

He reached out for the agent's arm. "Arikado, wait! What's freaking you out?"

"We don't have time for this!" Arikado yelled. "Julius is—"

"We know!" Mina took his left hand. "We're worried too. But, you're panicking, and it's scaring us. If there's something else we should know, you've got to tell us. It's what friends do. So, please. Answer Soma's question."

This wasn't the time for the truth. Arikado felt cornered, trapped by kind eyes. Would they still look the same way at them, if they knew what he was? He took Mina's hands, then slipped them free. Her fragile fingers balled up in his. He placed them in Soma's grasp, hoping the young man would take good care of them.

Arikado conceded. "You are right, Miss Hakuba. I am frightened." He took in a deep breath, trying to control himself. "We are in peril. Julius is fighting for his mind and his life. We left our companions swarmed by monsters. There are people trying to corrupt Soma—the same that would kill you without a second thought. To think that one of them could be the reincarnation of my mother horrifies me."

Soma found the error of his words before Arikado did. "Your mother?"

The agent's mind blanked. The back of his throat dried out. His skin prickled. He pulled away from the pair, staggering with legs made out of lead towards another stairwell. The duo sank into his words, trying to process what he had said. Was he telling them the truth? If his sulk was anything to go by, that seemed like glaring validation.

Arikado was two steps up the roof access when Soma called for him. "Arikado—are you—"

The collapsing roof smashed the question from Soma's mouth.

Clay tile and wooden beams plummeted in a burning heap. Mina shrieked, fright paralyzing her. Soma scooped her up with one arm. He yanked her backwards, wincing as more debris fell. There was an unsettling crunch, a howl of pain. Jagged wood snapped around them. They pinned the youths behind an unsteady snarl, timbers stabbing forth, blocking out moonlight.

Soma pressed against the flaming wreckage. It rattled against his strength. Awful thoughts filled his head. What in the hell had hit them? Had that been Arikado crying out? Was he trapped beneath the ruins? Soma shuddered, muscles straining as he fought against the debris that trapped him and Mina behind its smoldering walls. "Arikado! Say something!"

"I'm alright," came a muffled pant. "Get away from the rubble. It's not stable. Find another stairwell. I've got to—"

Another shift in the heap forced Soma backwards. The young man snarled. He turned to Mina, eyes wide and worried. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Soma sighed. Even if he could get over the flames and debris, Mina couldn't. No matter what, he had to protect her.

Mina tried offering him a smile. "Come on. Let's get going before—"

"There you are!"

Soma and Mina glanced towards what used to be the walls overlooking the gardens. Frustration burned in Soma's spirit as he realized what had caused the roof to explode. Brown eyes burning with embers peered at them through gaps in the support beams. A wicked smile split another set of timbers. Slime and diseased flesh seeped from an undead skull's grin. Soma held Mina behind him. He remembered those eyes, that awful sneer. Not so much the giant skull the pyromancer was riding, however.

"Not you again!" Soma groaned.

"Sorry, my lord," Chika laughed. "Did I interrupt something heartwarming?"

* * *

Author's Note

So, originally I had a train question game reprisal sequence here. I'll go ahead and post that to Tumblr. Long story short, the section following it didn't work for me, so I cut it.

There would have been a time where I would have been flabbergasted for someone calling my twist in the reviews. But, hey! If it works, no need to deviate. Some people are just that clever!


	16. Chapter 16

A ball of fire sped after shrieking shadows.

Arikado's guts clenched. This had been a damn fine trap, pinning the agent away from the two young adults. He pressed one more time against the debris, groaning as it wouldn't budge. Just as well. The damn pile was more likely to fall on someone than it was to let someone through. He pulled back, huffing. If he was going to catch up with Soma and Mina, it would have to be on wing or through mist.

He cursed himself. Damned that hiding his transformations did him any good—especially when his absent-minded tongue ratted him out.

Another moan caught his attention. The agent snapped around. Crumpled a little ways away from him was a worn-out man, his leather coat torn and fanned about him. He was stuck beneath flat beams, coated in clay tiles and dust. A crimson liquid spilled from beneath his chest. Had the poor man not made a sound, Arikado would have thought him dead.

Arikado dropped beside the injured man's side. "Julius!"

The Belmont stirred at his name. Arikado dug him out, patting flames and soot off him. The hunter was in a wild, unkempt state. Blood flowed from scratches on his face and sternum. His shirt was torn open, buttons missing. Brown hair hung in wild waves, freed from the usual bands Julius used to keep it tied back. There was an uncharacteristic messiness to him, even for one as rough and ready as he was. He even smelt wrong, more like sulfur and ash than his usual warm, musky scent.

Arikado wiped fallen hair away from his face. "Julius. Talk to me. How can I help you?"

Leather-clad digits reached for Arikado's neck. The agent folded his left hand around them. Julius' fingers keep stretching out, seeking the collar of Arikado's shirt. Soft mumbling made no sense to sharp ears. Arikado leaned down, trying to understand the hunter's words. He shook his head. Julius couldn't be incapacitated like this. He was too strong, too—

Metal snapped in Julius' hands.

Arikado pulled back. Julius held on. He yanked Arikado's collar, ripping his tie and a chunk of shirt fabric off in one jagged hunk. A gold chain fell with them. Terror seized Arikado. He jerked forward to take the jewelry back, but Julius caught his arm. His rough hands felt so much stronger than before, solid and unyielding.

"This is a cruel joke," Arikado hissed, fighting to pull his wrist free. "Release my relics. You know I can't—"

Emerald fire in dulled eyes cut off his tongue.

New panic shot through Arikado's flesh. He fought to stay calm, to get out of Julius' grip. The hunter knew everything he could do to incapacitate creatures of the night. There was no better monster to spar with than Arikado, as far as the Belmont clan was concerned. He was the one tame beast that they could trust their children to play with. Julius had been a stubborn little boy, such a rough-houser. It had been amusing to help train him, enjoyable. Not so much now, with all that knowledge and strength turned against him.

One boot to the vampire hunter earned Arikado his freedom. He bolted backwards, then drew his blade. "Julius, stop! I don't wish to hurt you."

Julius staggered onto tired feet. "Hurt me?"

Arikado nodded. "You know what's happening to you. You're—"

Leather snapped around Arikado's left wrist. The dhampir gasped. Fire burst through his synapses. That unbearable pain was all too familiar. The spirit within the Vampire Killer had never forgiven his blood for its impurities. She still sought to slay him, even after half a millennia. It was all he could do to wrench himself out of the binds that housed her.

Julius pulled back. He pressed against the whip's handle. Metal links wove around the leather core of the Vampire Killer. He lashed out, catching Arikado's sword. With a flail and a yank, he buried that in the floor, missing Arikado's feet by millimeters. Arikado backed up, bracing himself against a solid wall. He couldn't outrun Julius, couldn't fly away. His wings dangled from Julius' right hand, relics deadened and limp over the Vampire Killer's handle.

"You don't want to hurt me?" Julius hissed. "You liar!"

The vampire hunter cracked at him again. Arikado caught the end of the whip. It burned beneath his fingers, furious at his audacity to hold it. He kept it steady. With one pull, he drew Julius in. The dhampir searched the Belmont's pockets for his holy glasses. If he could just get a look at the orb controlling Julius—

Silver links were torn from his hands. They leapt around his neck. Arikado choked. Julius wrenched him onto his knees. The dhampir struggled to get that whip off his throat. His feet found purchase in Julius' stomach. A sharp kick forced the vampire hunter backwards. Arikado's chest heaved, body aching as he fought to catch his breath.

It wasn't another second later that Julius was driving him into the ground. The Belmont's knee dug into Arikado's abdomen. "You left me!"

"Julius, think!" Pleading was worthless on possessed ears. All the same, Arikado had hope for the soul scalded by green fire. He reached for Julius' coat pockets once more. "Your glasses—quickly!"

Dark toxin and spittle ran down the edge of his ears. "You never thought once of me after I killed your father, did you? I was just a weapon to you! That's why you abandoned me!" Julius drew the Vampire Killer tighter. "That's all we Belmonts are to you, isn't it? Just a way to keep you safe from Daddy!"

"No!" Arikado gasped.

His hands shook, fingers trembling as he seized a pocket's hem. All of his strength went into his grip. A tortoiseshell case slipped into his hands. He flicked it open, snatching the silver glasses within its lid. Even from a distance, he could see a reflection in the lenses, an emerald stone teetering wildly above Julius' head.

One last burst of energy was all Arikado needed. He bucked against Julius, earning just enough room to snatch the invisible orb out of thin air. A single clench from weak hands destroyed the glassy sphere. Julius' eyes went blank, wide. He crashed onto Arikado's chest, trapping the dhampir beneath his heavy body.

The agent pushed the Vampire Killer off his throat. He sucked in shaky breaths, his lungs rattling. Warm liquid fell down the tender skin of his neck. He thought it was blood, at first. Weak eyes opened to fight another pair leaking. Arikado patted Julius' back. The old hunter had to feel as exhausted as the dhampir did.

"I'm sorry," Julius apologized.

"So am I," Arikado nodded. "Pull yourself together. Soma needs us."

Julius nodded. "I will." He placed the Vampire Killer next to his side. Thick fingers shook as they scooped Arikado upright. "I was too weak. I—"

Arikado couldn't let Julius dwell on this. They had larger problems to worry about. Light fingers ghosted the vampire hunter's shoulders. "You grew up too fast. One moment you were small enough to sleep in my arms, and the next—"

"I could crush you in mine." Julius snickered. "No wonder you didn't come after me."

"I searched for you for so long. I thought you had…" Arikado sank. "Even as you were, I thought you were happier freed from your burdens."

Julius huffed. "It could have been worse, I guess. Still, I would have rather spent it with—"

Unearthly fire drew a howl from the vampire hunter.

The Belmont fell into Arikado's side. Green flames rose from his back. Arikado leaned over his prone form, snuffing out embers and tapping the hollowness in Julius' face. There was no response from weathered skin. He jerked as new scuffling spilled down the rubble. Another roll of fire slammed into the pair, blasting them apart. Arikado grimaced as a shift shadow engulfed both the unconscious vampire hunter and the dhampir.

"What a splendid fight!" a low voice mocked him. "Quite the touching scene, too. You really do have your mother's heart, Alucard."

Arikado jerked. Only two people in the world were allowed to call him by that name. He froze against the wall, watching in horror as spheres circled the cult leader's head. How the hell had he figured out who he was? More importantly, what did he intend to do with such knowledge?

Maruki lifted an eyebrow. "Well, your highness? Would you like to see her again?"

White fire blasted from the air. Arikado slammed the unearthly spirits towards the sorcerer. Spinning glass knocked the shots back. A sharp pulse of energy struck the dhampir down. Arikado snarled, reaching for his buried blade. Even if it was a poor opportunity to end this fight, he had to take it. Decapitating this monster in human skin would save both Soma and the fallen vampire hunter lying at his feet.

A strand of metal drove him away from his sword. Arikado pulled his bleeding fingers back. He looked to the cult leader's hands, finding them smoking in unholy waves. Clutched in long digits was Julius' family heirloom. Arikado snarled at Maruki. "None but a child of the Belmont family can wield that. It will drain you of your life before you can end mine."

"Killing you?" Maruki smirked. "Do you think that is my honor?

New horror brought clarity to Julius' plight. It hadn't been that Maruki needed another follower. He required the right lure to reel Arikado in. The agent's stomach sank. If the mighty Belmont was just another tool to serve the cult leader's needs, what in the hell did that make the disguised dhampir?

Fire pushed Arikado back. Divine and corrupted lightning followed. Arikado was blinded, overwhelmed. He shoved forward once, beckoning for even the weakest of spirits to force Maruki back. Silver metal marred milk-pale skin, ripping red ribbons across it. It drew fat from its wielder's flesh, youth from his eyes, black hair drifting away in burned tufts. Even in dimmed eyes, Arikado caught a flash of the melting horror before him.

He had seen such a wretched visage once before. "No! You're—"

The Vampire Killer struck him silent, still.

/***/

Some people would have killed to have cute girls chasing them all the time. Soma was not one of those people.

Sure, he liked the girl running alongside him, her slender fingers clenched against his. Not so much the cackling witch following their trail. He didn't know how the pyromancer could fit her mount through such small corridors. More irritatingly, how she could take an entire magazine from his gun and keep going. His shots may have taken a few teeth from her mount, but it did nothing to slow the witch down. The only way that Mina and Soma were going to outrun that witch was on something with wheels.

A car. A tandem bike. Even a pair of rollerblades would be better than nothing.

"Please tell me you see another stairwell!" Mina huffed.

Soma's eyes widened. If Mina didn't have half a dozen lucky charms, then she was one herself. He rounded a sharp corner, yanking Mina with him. A blast of fire followed her trail. They clattered up stairs blackened with age and soot. One more set, and they'd be on the tower's roof. Hopefully, Arikado would be there. Even better, accompanied by Julius and the corpse of the Belmont's attacker.

The young man rebuked himself. He might as well have been wishing for ice cream in hell.

A chill passed behind Soma's head. He jerked forward. Had he been so hungry that his mind gave him a preemptive brain freeze? Five icicles splattered behind Soma and Mina. They rained down on the pyromancer. She gave a shrill shriek as one scratched her nose. A blur of red from floors below kept sharp eyes on the fleeing youths. Soma gave a quick wave to Yoko. At least the good witch was still watching his back!

Soma laughed to himself. If Yoko was the good witch…

"Say, Mina?" Soma asked. "Did you bring a bucket with you?"

Mina shook her head. "Why?"

Soma snickered, snapping another round of ammunition into place. "I was thinking if you filled it up with water, you could—"

"Oh!" She picked up on Soma's teasing. "Throw it on the wicked witch, right?"

Chika was indignant. Brown hair puffed up in angry curls. "I am too powerful and pretty to die in such a lame way! All you would do is make me hotter!" She spat fire, hurling it in Mina's direction. "And what does that make you, she who lives in our master's shadow? A concubine for Dracula?"

Mina stomped down. Soma jerked as she spun around, mortified with the rage in Mina's cheeks. "What did you call me?"

"Well, you can't be his wife, sweetie. We've got one picked out for him," Chika smirked. Her thoughts were punctuated with a shrill shriek. "Still, kings often keep a handful of ladies on hand. You should be honored, even being just a harlot for our lord!"

New fire flared, but it didn't come from Chika. Soma was fearful of the embers in Mina's eyes. Her fists curled, teeth flaring, face flushed red with fury. She huffed once, then reached down. A click and a flash of metal sent terror through Soma's skin. Mina pelted the device at Chika. Soma gasped. He turned Mina's head around before an explosion of light lit up the night.

Soma bolted towards the next corridor and the stairs awaiting him. He grabbed Mina, hauling her around like a belligerent toy poodle. "Okay, Mina. Rule number one about flashbangs—don't throw them that close to you! Number two—"

"Hey, I stopped her, didn't I?" Mina frowned.

Soma couldn't argue that point. "Well, yeah, but—Gah!"

His thoughts slammed in place as narrowed eyes greeted him from the opposing doorframe. A slight girl with cropped hair and barrettes forced him back into the open hallway. Mina shuddered. This other girl wasn't as mouthy or extraverted with her powers like Chika was, but something awful resonated from her. The darkness of the path behind her crept out of the shadows, following faithfully in quiet footsteps.

"Master Cruz," the necromancer addressed him. "Please, come with us."

Soma raised his gun. "Ah…how about no?"

Sharp hissing caught the young man off guard. "And where do you think you're going to go, dragging that little wench around with you?"

Oh, good. Chika had recovered. Soma wasn't sure which of the two witches to keep his attention on. He decided to settle facing out, his back against the walls. "You know, if I was really your lord, don't you think it would be smart to listen to me? I can get pretty nasty!"

"You're kidding me." Chika's tone went flat. "Miyu, could you—"

"Gladly," the necromancer agreed to the pyromancer's thoughts.

The short girl smashed her right hand into the hallway's closed wall. Another monstrous hand followed. It was stripped of flesh, larger in length than a car. Skeletal limbs traced back to a giant corpse bracing the side of the tower. Mina shrieked. Soma was glad she did, for her cries covered his. He settled for aiming at the necromancer. He was going to make sure she put that bad boy back into whatever hell she had dragged it out of.

Miyu was not impressed with Soma's little toy. The monster flicked Soma in the chest. Even with such a small, effortless move, it was enough to knock Soma on his butt. His gun clattered to the ground, spinning over the edge. Soma rolled forward, several seconds too late to catch the weapon. The giant skeleton was not so unfortunate. Gnarled bones snapped around Soma, tearing the railing out as it pulled him into the air.

"Soma!" Mina called out for him.

Chika smirked. She grabbed a handful of Mina's hair, then pulled her backwards. "Don't worry, girl. We're not going to hurt him." Thin fingers kept tugging her back, making the miko yelp as she bent her around. "You, on the other hand—"

Thin bone bounced into the pyromancer's face. She turned to glare outside. Even squeezed inside of a monster's hand, Soma was still fighting. Not to save just himself, though. Chika smirked. This girl must have been something for him to keep struggling like that.

A blast of magic and gunfire burst against the gargantuan skeleton's legs. Miyu looked over the edge of the ruined hallway. She sighed, spotting the Belandes witch and the strange soldier in her company chipping away at her monster's feet. They were an effective pair. Any people who could survive that long against her army of the undead were to be praised. Unfortunately, they would not be receiving any medals from the undead legion's commander.

"Would you take care of that?" Miyu asked her companion.

Chika nodded. She kissed her lips, then splashed fire onto Yoko and Hammer's position. Both rushed for cover. An inferno swelled across grass and sand, sending geysers bubbling with heat. That would keep the pair busy for a while, if it didn't burn them out altogether. Soma certainly kept pesky friends. No wonder he had been impossible to catch in Kichijoji.

The pyromancer looked back her fellow cultist. "Are done here?" She shook Mina, smiling as the girl yelped. "Otherwise, we could see how pure our little shrine maiden is. Ever dance through fire?"

"Stop it!" Soma shouted.

"Aw, my lord. Did you run out of femurs to throw at my face?" Chika scowled.

"Chika, that's enough."

Everyone snapped to attention at the sound of the new voice, light and sound blasting from a rotating column of green light. The voice was scratchy, warped. Even loyal subjects could hardly identify who was speaking. With a flare of grotesque magic, the witches' leader appeared at their sides. His appearance brought gasps, shrieks.

"Master!" Chika shrieked. "What happened to you?"

Gone was the soft, kind face of a misguided fatherly figure. All that remained was flesh blanched an unearthly tone, round features now narrowed and thinned. His skin was desiccated, fingers gnarled, hair burned off. A sickly green aura filled his eyes. He took rattling breaths, his warped bones struggling to support a battered body.

Despite his horrible ordeal, Maruki was not willing to speak of what had warped him. "It was all for the good of the kingdom. You understand, don't you, my lord?"

Soma kicked his legs. The action was fruitless. "What have you done to Julius?"

"The Belmont? I leave him for you to fight again, Master. It always brought such joy to your heart to battle his kind," Maruki laughed. "Though, you'll have to forgive me for other measures I had to take. Your son was not so easily pacified, as you can see. You'll have to devise a fitting punishment for him, once we are finished with the restoration of your kingdom."

Sirens blared in Soma's ears. He was numb to the crushing strength around him, deaf to Mina's gasps. Even the words that slipped from him were muted in his mind. "My…no. No!"

"Come, my ladies." Green magic flashed around Maruki's body. "We have work to do."

Soma's stomach rolled as the huge skeleton reached down to carry its master. He struggled to find any power that would crush the bones around him. His fingers were smashed to his sides, pain squeezing the sense from his body. He couldn't be taken away! Not like this—not while Mina was screaming for him.

The pyromancer flew out of the hallway. She gave Soma a wink, then blew a kiss to Mina. The wood around her erupted in walls of thick flames. Soma jerked forward. Mina did the same. He wailed, wishing for even one teardrop from his eyes to land on the fires wreathing her. He prayed for rain, snow, ice—anything to stop the surging inferno engulfing the tower. He couldn't stomach watching Mina disappear in clouds of smoke. Given his overwhelming binds, he had no choice but to watch her fade away.

Black winds captured her. Hell took him.

* * *

Author's Note

So, this part was combined out of a scrapped fight I couldn't let go and teeny chunks about Soma's subjugation. Long story short, everyone got punked too easily in the first few drafts, and it didn't settle well with me. When you've got tough dudes and dudettes on your hands, you've got to work hard to make their suffering convincing. A show of effort from everybody, if you will!

I mean, hell. Just because you want to see a hero curled up in a ball and bleeding/crying doesn't mean you can get it without building up to it.

...this is probably why I would never be good at PWP.


	17. Chapter 17

He had fallen so far.

His senses were flooded with darkness, sulfur, a sea of green eyes. Soma's stomach wouldn't settle. His head burned from being held back, dangled in a pillar of green light. There was no feeling in his limbs. Even the powers within him wouldn't come to his weak calling.

He was cursed. Damned.

So thirsty.

Red channels ran beneath him. They throbbed with power, making painted wood glow with unearthly color. The magic substance was spilling from Soma, manipulated by deft hands. Low murmuring echoed off stone walls surrounding the corrupted shrine. An unholy choir sang mass in a dead tongue, all pleading to the source of Soma's powers for their resurrection.

And what would they be? Devils? Demons? Vampires? What monster would suit Soma best? Something without bones. He was certain of that. Though, he knew of the horror he would soon become. Being a glob of ooze would be better than turning into that beast.

His heart ached. He couldn't save Mina. He wished that her suffering was over, that smoke and flames did not torment her anymore. Julius was injured, awaiting a second death at Soma's possessed hands. His son—Soma's child—that thought paralyzed Soma with fear. He could only pray he had misheard something, that the truth hadn't been at his back this entire time.

What good did his prayers do in hell?

Long fingers pressed against his forehead. They mopped away sweat. A soft cooing came over his ears. "You are doing well. Just a little while longer."

Oh, sure. Easy for Beth to say. She was going to be revived as some fair maiden, a long lost love of his. And how could Soma refuse her, now that Mina had been burned away from him? He wept, hoping that Mina's eyes would never see him sitting on a throne made of skeletons and rotted flesh. She deserved to be someplace safe. Maybe goddesses and spirits of the air would make better companions for her. She would be the fairest among them.

"You look upset," Beth whispered. "What do you need?"

Soma lulled his head. He stared into her eyes best as he could. "Let me go."

She nodded. "Soon."

Bubbling springs drew saliva from his mouth. All around him, he heard low thumping. He closed his eyes, but could still see fire burning around him, running through throats and limbs. It was all too much. The scents, the heat, the chanting. It was making him sick.

"A drink," Soma begged. "Please."

The world sopped around him, heavy with magic and fog. Beth left his side. There was an increase in the dynamics of the unholy song, a splatter of thick liquid against glass, a quiet moan. Soma felt his guts twist. Someone was just as sick as he was. He feared putting a voice to that groan.

Fingers drew his head upright. Cold glass pressed against his lips. He took deep swallows. It was on his fourth gulp that he realized he wasn't drinking water. He flared open his eyes. Crimson substance stained the glass, trailing down his chest. He gagged.

Blood. He had willingly drank blood.

He knew its owner at once, for it tasted just like his own.

New power burst from him. The shrine shook with seething magic. His body went rigid, head snapped back. From beneath him came one floating orb. Red, glowing, warm. Another followed in turn. Blue. Then gold. Red. Gold. Silver. Blue. Black.

The choir's song softened. Tones melted with their owners lips. All around him, flesh began to congeal, melt, twist and transform. One possessed cultist popped like a boiled tick, blood shooting from its bulging stomach. Others erupted with feathers, fangs, scales. The song mutated, praises changed to unearthly bellows. They made Soma sick.

He closed his eyes as his humanity burned away.

/***/

Ringing revived Julius.

He thought it was his ears at first, giving way in old age. Maybe a hallucination brought on by the trauma he had sustained. When he realized the sound was coming from his jacket pockets—incessant in its cries—he finally gave into reality's call. He slipped his left hand in his pocket, then answered his phone. His voice was rough, stomach aching. "Yes?"

"Help me."

"Mina?" Julius pulled onto his knees. "Where are you?"

Timid weeping messed up her voice. "On the tower with you. Top floor. Can't breathe. So much smoke." She shuddered, snot running down her throat as she spoke. "They took Soma."

"No!" Julius was on his feet in a flash. He cursed himself. How could he be so weak as to faint when Soma needed him most? He crushed his right hand. Metal pinched back. He glanced down, finding shining charms weaved in his fingers. Another wave of terror struck him. What was he doing with Arikado's relics?

He remembered shouts of terror, pain, kind hands on his shoulders.

"Keep low as you can. Cover your mouth. Don't panic." Julius soothed the girl. "I'm putting you on speakerphone. You'll be in my pocket. Alright?"

She was quiet with her response. "Okay."

Julius threw Arikado's relics into his right pocket, then dropped his phone over it. The light from its screen shined inside of his coat. Coughing came from it as well. Julius steeled himself. As long as that light glowed, they all had hope. He stood up, then reached for his weapon.

The Vampire Killer wasn't on his hip.

Julius searched about him. The whip was gone. Flat out gone! It would have fallen beside him, had it still been present. The only weapon left was buried tip-first into smoldering floorboards. Julius winced at how much strength he had used to slam Arikado's sword into the ground. He grabbed its handle, then retracted the blade. Arikado wouldn't have left his weapon. He certainly wouldn't have been able to wield the Vampire Killer. Not unless he wanted to commit suicide, anyway.

He had no time to waste on pondering Arikado's fate. He couldn't help a phantom. Mina needed him, and he would answer her call.

Julius scrambled up the pile of debris. He stomped across clay tiles, watching fires rage throughout the courtyard and garden. There were heaps of undead bodies, skeletons smashed into dust. No other humans. No sign of the cultists, either. His stomach sank. Yoko and Hammer had to be out in this inferno. He doubted someone with some legendary strength like Yoko's would fall to such mediocre villains. Then again, both a Belmont and Dracula's brood had already been struck down once a piece. He prayed for them all, begging for the triumph of a loving deity over a devil's cruelty.

Black stains led Julius to crackling columns of flame. The roaring in his pocket became louder. So did the coughing. It wasn't that his phone was gaining volume. There was feedback coming in, sounds overlapping as they crackled back and forth. He snatched a vial of holy water from his jacket. The liquid sizzled against flames as he flicked it, divine power snuffing out the demonic blaze.

There was a crunch below him. It came out of his phone as well. Julius slid down the side of the roof. Beneath him was a black haze, clouds puffing up and out. He dropped, clinging onto a support beam as he swung himself onto weak flooring. His voice cut through the smoke. "Mina! Are you here?"

The cry came from nearby and within his coat. "Julius!"

The Belmont spun about. Deeper into the fire crawled a figure coated in soot. She was pursued by flames, collapsing debris. Julius scrambled to her side. A weak hand reached for him. He snatched it up, taking the small body with him. It was a miracle Mina had survived this long.

Julius rushed through a wave of fire. His coattails snapped, embers burning the ends. He slid down a flight of stairs, rushing to find a place not charred black by raging fire. It would have been much easier to swing to another floor, had he had his whip or a free hand. He would have to keep going. There was no rest for him until he could see the light of dawn again.

Mina coughed into his chest. He sighed, pitying the poor girl. "Take my scarf. Cover your mouth."

She reached for his neck. Weak fingers picked at the knot tying his scarf together. Cotton peeled away at her touch. She bunched it in front of her mouth, then covered her face. Crispy fabric scratched his chest. The Belmont felt a pang of sorrow shoot through him. Her sleeves were torn, burned through. Red injuries beneath them shimmered from orange flames. She had fought to save herself. She just didn't have enough faith to see her through.

Though, he was glad she had called for him.

As Julius brought her down another floor, he asked, "Where are Yoko and Hammer?"

"Tried calling them. Couldn't get them to pick up." Mina spoke into his collarbone, her cries muffled. "Neither did Soma."

Julius nudged the top of her head with his chin. "Have faith. We will save him."

Mina stared into his eyes, her own beading with tears. "And his son?"

"What?" Julius went breathless, though not from the smoke.

Mina curled into him, fingers clinging onto his coat. "They said…they hurt Soma's son. Must be Adrian, right?" Dampness soaked the edge of his vest, running down exposed skin. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know—we should have known—"

She couldn't bring herself to finish her thoughts. Julius was glad she didn't. His heart clenched, thick blood pounding through his chest and skull. Damn it all! He had called this cult's hand, and yet, he had still been unable to beat it. How easy it had been for them to pierce his will like a hook through a worm's body. There was a brief moment where he wished for his own bitter death, to pay the price for his ineptitude. Such a wish would not save Soma, nor the catch that had been drawn to Julius' writhing.

He had to live—if for no one else, then for the warm ball of fire crying into his chest.

There was a crunch beneath his feet as he descended more stairs. He felt his boots slip. Beneath him was a patch of thawing ice, water trickling down the stairs. There was a wild thump in his chest. Only one person around here would have the power to make that much ice. He rushed down the stairs, eager to find more. More dripped from the ceiling, icicles falling onto animated corpses as they sloshed through the mess. They barred off flames rolled through open grass, stopping short at corrupted sand and water.

Julius shouted. "Yoko! Where are you?"

A sharp cry called back. "Julius!"

Soft, white powder blasted from the gardens beyond the burning tower. It rolled away from the icy hall, into dead grass and stone ornaments. At the snowy path's end were two shadows driving back a thin crowd of undead soldiers. Julius bolted towards them. Flakes burst from his heels. He rushed through dead grass and sand, life springing through him as he approached the good witch and her American aid.

Julius smashed a zombie with his right foot. Ever the grouchy patriarch, Julius immediately took his rank amongst their group. "I never thought I would have to tell a woman this, but answer your damn phone next time!"

"Sorry, old man! Kind of got swamped!" Yoko bopped him lightly on the top of his head. She cracked her staff around, blasting bits of undead brains all over sand and snow. "Had to high tail it out of that tower, then get through a field of fire, then—"

Mina reached for her. "Glad you made it. I was worried."

"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry." Seeing what had happened to Soma and being unable to stop it was bad enough. Yoko didn't have the heart to say what she thought had happened to Mina. "Were you the one that tried to call me?"

"Yeah. It's okay. I got help." Mina tugged down Julius' scarf. She tried to work up a grin. "We can save Soma, right?"

Yoko shared her classic smile with the girl. "Of course. I haven't given up on him yet!"

Mina rested her head on Julius' right bicep. "Good. And Adrian too."

Hammer pulled back from his assault. He flipped his rifle back, chucking out the clip as he reloaded. "Wait, wait, wait. Time out! Adrian? Who in the hell is Adrian?"

"Oh, damn it all!" Yoko hissed. "Julius! What happened?"

Julius shook his head, ashamed. "I was incapacitated twice. Arikado came to my aid." He bobbed his head towards his hip. "When I came to, I did not have my whip. I also found his relics and sword in my possession. He was nowhere to be found."

Yoko's face pinched. She slammed into a skeleton's skull a little harder than she anticipated. As bone powder blew around her, she huffed. "Great! Why didn't we just tie a ribbon around his neck and slap a tag on his ass while we were at it? To: Whacko Cultists. From: A Bunch of Idiots!"

"Still not following!" Hammer smashed the stock of his rifle down on a creeping creature's head. Gore splattered his face as he grimaced. "Are you're telling me—"

Julius spelled it out for him. "Arikado's true name is Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes. He's—"

"Tepes? Like, Vlad Tepes? Goddamn Dracula?" Hammer winced.

Both Yoko and Julius nodded.

The American couldn't believe it. "So, you people are telling me that not only is Soma the reincarnation of the biggest, baddest vampire prick to walk the planet, but this strange spy that has been following him around for the past couple of years is actually related to him?"

Yoko held an awkward smile. "He's his son."

"You know what?" Hammer shook his head. "I'll buy it. What the hell? Everything around this kid's so goddamn weird, anyway."

"I wish he would have told Soma. He was so ready to know," Mina sighed. "Though, I think Soma figured it out. They had a talk in the tower. Something about Dracula's wife and Arikado's mother…and I don't think Arikado meant to say anything, but he acted like they were the same person. Then Soma was going to ask, and…" She rolled her head towards Julius. "I wish you would have told him everything."

Julius smiled. "It was not my secret to tell. Perhaps I've said too much to you, too." He pulled a ragged tendril of hair away from her nose. "I hope both of them can forgive me."

"This is sweet and all, but I'm missing something." Hammer cut their bonding short. "What the hell does anything about Dracula having a wife have to do with what's going on here?"

Mina struggled to pull herself upright. Her legs tightened around Julius' left arm. "That's right! The foreign girl! Arikado saw a picture of her, and he got scared!" She slid out of Julius' grasp. The Belmont braced her while she got her feet beneath her. She could hardly speak, coughing at the end of every thought. "Julius! They're going to make that foreigner into Dracula's wife!"

"Good Lord! Their gift to Dracula!" Julius huffed. "Those fools! How do they think they can—"

Shrieks from the earth cut him off.

Geysers burst open. Sand and burned grass burst. Green embers rose from cracks in the ground, the cries of the undead made manifest in corrupted flesh. Wood cracked as fire and earth consumed the burning tower. Everyone backed off, watching in horror as a twisting gale of souls bubbled upwards. The ground beneath them quaked, groaned, snapped and crumbled. They were thrown onto their knees.

Yoko glanced around them. "Take cover!"

"Where?" Hammer shouted.

Wooden teeth tore from the ground. They built up mighty towers, surrounding the group with high walls. Clay tile flaked from rooftops like fish scales. Trees blackened, blossoms turning the color and consistency of raw flesh. Rivers ran red. The world folded in on itself, creating an unearthly monstrosity. In the heart of it all grew keeps, theaters, gardens, springs and perverse shrines. All glowed green, flashing to red as the moon rose over the churning land, one scarlet eyes bearing down on them all.

The new kingdom of Dracula was birthed with the horrific screams of an undead choir.

* * *

Author's Note

Sorry for the late update. Had a busy day today.

I originally wrote several different interpretations for the cult sequence to Soma. In the end, I decided to throw out explaining what was happening to him and just go with raw terror and confusion. Science needs to be explained; magic, not so much. It's hard for me to remember that, sometimes.

Got your box of tissues ready?


	18. Chapter 18

He felt sick. Not just any kind of sick. This wasn't a cold, a fever, eating or drinking too much. This was a sickness that seeped through his flesh. He sat up, limbs limp and numb. The sound of rushing wind was stronger in his ears than his own pulse. He shivered, the biting cold chewing on his neck and hands. His coat did nothing to keep the night's chill out.

Soma drew his hands to his jacket's trim.

They weren't his.

He refused the thought, denying his own body. His fingers were too long, lean, nails drawn out into claws. The skin on them was sickly, blue tinged and white. He bit down on his jaw, trying not to scream. Teeth nicked his lips. Soma jolted. He ran his tongue along his teeth, finding his canines drawn out. They were sharper than a viper's fangs. Even his obedient tongue told of his nature. It dabbed blood drawn from his lips, pleased with the taste.

His body betrayed him.

"My lord?" A deep voice called for him. "Are you alright?"

Soma raised his head. Standing above him was what had once been Maruki. He could only tell that much by his green cardigan. The rest of his flesh had finished the transformation that started when he was still his human self. He was pale, wrinkled, bald. Soma looked into his eyes, trying to find his reflection in the membranes of the sorcerer's eyes. There was nothing there, just blank, white flesh.

He could hardly work up the question. "Am I…?"

Soma pressed a hand to his throat. His voice was different. It was lower, smoother. There was only one time that he had this rich depth in his voice. He felt just like then, just like when he had come to know what he truly was. Quivering powers brimmed within him. He felt full, overflowing with monstrous souls. How Dracula could ever want any more power, he didn't know. He felt like his stomach was going to burst open.

"You should retire to your quarters," the transformed cult leader murmured. He stroked Soma's back. "We shall have clean clothes for you within an hour. The Arachne are working hard to see that you are well suited."

Soma grimaced. Was his coat not good enough? Perhaps it wasn't as regal as a vampire's cloak, but he had come to enjoy its comforts. He swallowed his pride. Mouthing off would do him no good. "I appreciate your aid, sir."

"Master, have you forgotten my name in your sleep?" The sorcerer laughed.

Soma didn't know what else to say. "Suppose I have."

The cult leader bowed to him, kissing his left hand. "The dark priest Shaft, my lord. At your eternal command."

Soma looked around him. The transfixed and the devoted that had been swarming the shrine had all gone out, ready to stretch themselves on new legs. All monsters, thanks to Soma's power. He glanced behind him, searching for who remained. The mouthy pyromancer and silent necromancer were in Shaft's ranks. Both bowed to him as he studied their faces. One retained the beauty from her life, though her arrogance made it uncomfortable to stare at her for too long. The other's face had rounded, smoothed into something as soft as the full moon.

"And you are?" Soma asked.

The pyromancer cut in. "Lady Carmilla." She stroked her form. "I'm very pleased with your work, my lord. This soul was quick to awaken and take my shape."

The necromancer was quiet with her introduction. "We have not met, Master Dracula. Though, I am pleased to see what you can do. In life, I was known as Takiyasha, daughter of Masakado."

"The headstrong samurai. I've heard stories," Soma nodded.

"Then, you are cruel to use the word 'headstrong' when speaking of my father," Takiyasha chided him.

Father. The word stuck in Soma's skin. He was a father. How disappointed his son would be, finding him resurrected like this. What scared him worse was how little difference there was in his old mind and his new one. Was he always like this, on the brink of becoming a homicidal misanthrope? What kept him from turning? His parents? His friends? Mina?

Soma lowered his head. "I want my son."

Shaft raised a brow. "Your highness, don't you wish to see your—"

"I want my son!" Soma bellowed. "What have you done to him?"

"My love, please!"

A gentle voice came from the shadows. Warm hands slipped onto Soma's shoulders. He sagged, letting creamy skin massage his aching muscles. Was this real? These hands—did they belong to the one he loved the most, the one who was bound to him? He turned, finding a cascade of white-gold curls catching on his arms. They flowed around a face too sweet, unblinking eyes crystal blue. His flesh shivered, heart aching. Was this her? Was this…

What was her name?

The beautiful woman kissed him. He felt shameful for that, as if the darkness from his soul was staining her lips. She addressed him, her voice as light and warm as summer clouds. "You are frightened. It is alright. You'll come to peace with your resurrection soon enough."

"If I scared you, then I'm sorry." Soma's shoulders lowered. "I feel sick. I remember smoke…but, it's so clouded in my head. I thought Shaft said that he had my son." He stopped, then corrected him. "Ours, I mean."

His long-lost love stroked his face. "This way, my darling."

Soma felt as if the air around him was heavier than he was, pushing him down. He walked beside the woman meant to be his, heart slowed and mind troubled. He'd promised Arikado he wouldn't bring her back. He swore to Julius that he would never take up Dracula's role. He had broken both vows. The worst of it was that he didn't even have to think about it. It was passively cultivated from him, and it sprouted with little fertilization or pruning. That was the nature of his true self—sheer greed, power unstopped.

Maybe that's why it didn't feel different to be Dracula. Maybe he was always this vile.

A heap of black cloth was slumped against a wooden column. Silver chains bundled it. Soma recognized the length of it, the hilt that dangled from knots. The Vampire Killer—the weapon of all descendants of the Belmont clan. It made for a strong bind, one the creature within its grasp could not escape. A chill passed through Soma. He wanted his doubt to blind him from the truth he saw.

Ink ran from long hair, closed eyes. Beneath running ichor were white, shimmering strands. There, underneath an illusion that held for decades, was a beauty Soma had only seen in ancient paintings and lost portraits—one stripped bare by vile magic. He put his fingers beneath a sharp chin, finding the face of his faithful friend hidden beneath graceful, swirling tendrils. There was no response to his touch. Such stillness hurt his heart. So this was his beloved child, the black guardian melted away.

"Arikado," Soma whispered. He folded his hands around bound arms, crying into the crook of his companion's neck. "I'm so sorry."

Shaft towered over him. "Why do you call your son that name, my lord?"

Soma didn't look up. "It's what he called himself."

"You gave him a better one," the sorcerer muttered.

Hadn't he earned it? Soma couldn't fight back his scalding tears. Why had Arikado ever taken a risk on him? He was a bomb ready to explode at any moment. And yet, the agent had given Soma a chance to prove himself, to live a happy life. He'd gone so far as to fight for the young man. What had he done to earn such devotion and affection?

Old fire burst in a wicked soul. It didn't race like a forest fire, nor storm like an inferno. It was a soft glow, an unattended candle now bubbling with wax and gentle embers. If anything human was left in Soma, he could feel it now, lighting his eyes. This was what Julius warned him about. This was the love he felt for his son, the selfishness and greed that hurt them both.

Soma pulled Arikado's head onto his shoulder. He closed his eyes, resting against hair blanched by his awful power. "I don't care. I'm not that proud. I'll call him whatever he wants."

"Use whatever name pleases you," Shaft conceded. "Place it on his grave."

Soma jerked up. "What?"

The old sorcerer didn't flinch, even for one draped in such threatening trappings as Soma was. "You are a fool to let him live. When he awakes, he will do everything in his power to stop you." His eyes narrowed, flaring with green energy. "I have been on the end of that man's blade. He will make short work of us all if you do not kill him now."

"No!" Soma roared.

"Why do you think I have given him to you like this? As long as that whip has him in its coils, he is powerless!" Shaft was furious, seething. "Be swift, if you wish to be merciful, but end this now!"

Soma drew the whole of Arikado's body against him. He snapped around on his knees, clutching his child. "Aren't I your king? Then listen to me! Do not touch him! He is mine!"

His former lover knelt down, stroking Arikado's face. For once, Soma felt glad to have her presence. At least someone would stand by him. She watched Arikado rest against Soma's shoulder, her eyes fixed open. She had a fascination for him that Soma had never seen before. Not even his own mother looked at him with such an intense stare.

He could never let her see him like this.

Soma dropped his hand to the small of Arikado's back. He picked at the Vampire Killer, flinching every time it bit his fingers. He could bear the pain of such a weapon. It had done him in several times before, but he was accustomed to its venom. The chains came undone, unfurling limbs into his side. Soma wrapped the whip around his hands, then ran it through his belt loops. He would have to see it returned.

"Does the Belmont and his friends still live?" Soma asked.

Carmilla nodded. "We can remedy that, if you would like."

Soma cut her off. "They will come for me soon enough. Let them."

"You are a confident one, aren't you?" Takiyasha asked.

"If I have to drink blood, then I wish for it to be the Belmont's," Soma replied. His foul lies tasted like ash on his tongue. "His would give me great power."

Shaft chuckled. "That sounds more like the lord I know."

Soma smirked. Of course it did. It was the same tyrant that always got himself killed. At least this time, he was going to get it over with quickly. The sooner Julius finished him off, the sooner this castle and these cultists' powers would disappear. That was the way it worked in the Belmont myth. He was lucky enough to escape the family's wrath once. He doubted that he wouldn't get the same chance again.

The troubled youth placed his forehead against Arikado's. If he was killed fast enough, the agent wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of his failure.

Soma turned to his wife. "Lady, what should I call you?"

The gentle lady snapped out of her trance. She shook her head. "I am sorry, my lord. I missed your question." Fingers folded over her mouth as she hid her yawn. "I am quite tired. This new life didn't come without great pains."

Soma agreed with her. "No life does, I guess." He waved her to his side. "Please. Let's find our son a place to rest. Then, stay with him. Heal him."

The blonde flushed pink. "My lord, you ask a lot."

"You are a doctor. You can take care of him." Soma stroked Arikado's hair, confident with her skills. "You always have."

Soma put his right arm beneath Arikado's legs, his left on his back. He tried not to think about how easy it was to pull the lean man off the ground. He didn't want to acknowledge the raw wounds beneath his fingertips, the blood that oozed from them. Sickening thoughts plagued Soma's mind as he realized the extent of his new powers. There were other forms he could take, other ways that would make it even simpler to carry his child. Wouldn't that be terrifying for the dhampir—to wake up in the claws of a demon? It wouldn't make a difference, whatever form Soma had. He would always be a monster. That much, he knew was true.

"Lord Dracula?" Shaft called for him. "What are the rest of us to do?"

Soma was bitter with his response. "You think you know what's best. So, go do whatever you think that is."

He walked down dozens of stone stairs, marching in procession with his dutiful wife and child. Red light spilled around him. It wasn't until he saw the night sky that he realized the true unearthly nature of it. The stars themselves trembled before him, the air turning black and scarlet. So this was what the Keepers of the Dragon's Court fought for—an eternal, grotesque night.

His companion nodded towards one tiered tower. "You see that, my lord? That is your throne room. You should find its accommodations to your liking, if you need to rest."

"Good," Soma nodded. Turning into a creature of the night had taken an overwhelming toll on his body, as well as his soul. "Is there a bedroom nearby?"

The blonde nodded. "Of course." She gave him a sly smile. "Are you so eager to—"

"Let's take Arikado there," Soma cut her off.

She seemed a little disappointed in Soma's lack of enthusiasm. He couldn't think about lying with her. Not with Mina so recently ripped out of his heart. What had once been despair flickered into weak hope. Perhaps she could have been saved, rescued from rolls of smoke. If she lived—if she outlived him—he hoped she knew the wishes in his corrupted heart. She had such a capacity to love. If she made it through to the bitter end, he wanted her to go on with Arikado in her company, to have the patchwork family Soma couldn't join.

This woman too, if she didn't fall with the end of the castle's magic.

A long ascent over ichor-stained stairs ended in a modest bedroom. Red, of course, as everything was. A simple mattress lay on the ground, but a thick blanket was spread over it. On an ebony table sat a tiny, round mirror. Pointless, as far as Soma was concerned. The floors were smooth wood, the walls painted with golden dragons. Hardly a room one would place in the castle of a European warlord, but it was charming enough.

Soma reached into a paper lantern. The wick caught fire at his very thoughts. He searched for a seat, urging his wife to tuck Arikado in. When she had done so, he carried a velvet cushion to the bed's side. She bowed her head, then sat upon it. The room felt too cold, uncomfortable. He'd have to see what he could do about getting a heater for the area. Perhaps a kotatsu, if he could find such furniture around here.

"There is a kitchen here, right?" Soma asked.

His lover nodded. "Of course."

"And bathrooms?" he added.

"Anything you could ever want is here," she replied.

Soma was satisfied with that much. "Alright." He reached down, smoothing Arikado's hair. "He doesn't like being dirty. Show him to a place where he can bathe, when he wakes up. He might need something to eat, too." He laughed, shaking his head. "No curry, though. It makes him sick. Must be the garlic."

"My lord—" the blonde started.

"I'll get him new clothes. You too. We all got a little messed up, didn't we?" Soma tipped his head. "What color do you like? White? Black?"

"Green," she said.

Soma bobbed his head. "Okay. Green it is."

He reached forward, then kissed her forehead. It felt natural enough, he supposed. It was harder to do the same to Arikado. The agent wasn't the affectionate type. Taking a kiss from Dracula would be worse than suffering a snake's bite for him. Soma did it, anyway. He didn't know if he would live to see the dhampir again. Somehow, Arikado had to know that some part of him loved the poor man.

If it was Dracula—if it was Soma—he didn't know.

Soma stepped outside of the bedroom, then slid the doors closed behind him. He made one last call. A ghost came to his command. It was much larger than the spritely figure that had been following him before. Probably a manifestation of his new strength, no doubt. He reached to his side, then snapped up the Vampire Killer. Gently, he placed it into skeletal hands.

"You know who to give this to." Soma sighed, then sealed his fate. "Do it. Bring him to me."

The ghost sped away from him. Soma marched towards his throne room. With a gulp, he threw open the doors. They snapped shut behind him. He closed his eyes, trying not to think of the awful sky and the faces he would never see again. It was done. Julius would fix this. Everything was in order.

Soma snapped his fingers. Fire billowed in his throne room. It was perfect for him—red and black, adorned with waves of gargantuan bats, garish to the last drop. Greenery grew from earthen pots, flanking the four corners. Wooden floors rose to a dais. His throne sat in the center of that, surrounded by crackling lanterns. It was black as his soul, red as the blood he was condemned to drink. No Japanese ruler would have decorated in such a gauche fashion. This was fused out of Soma's mind and Dracula's spirit, two beings fighting to make one home.

He sat down, face in his hands, waiting for his death.


	19. Chapter 19

They rested beneath the feet of a marble saint.

Julius never knew why such strange statues would appear with Dracula's castles. If they weren't valkyries or pure maidens, then they were gilded, throbbing balls of magic. He wondered if the castle catered to their needs. Arikado claimed that he would always find a coffin prepared for him. Perhaps there was an insidious side to it—the forces of evil wanting them to live as long as possible, making their failures and death all the sweeter. Whatever the purpose, Julius was glad to have a place to rest.

He drew water from a churning fountain beneath the pale statue. It smelt clean, looked clear. Yoko thought it was safe, having had a sip of it herself. Julius drank deeply, letting the cold water spread through his aching chest. He took another gulp. Water dribbled in his beard. He cleaned it away, grimacing. There were few things worse than a man with a dirty beard. Even in his roughest of days, he would always keep it groomed—even if that meant washing it out in a public park's fountain.

"I think the rocking's stopped," Yoko murmured.

So this new castle was complete. It had taken nearly an hour of stretching and groaning for the ground to settle. If they wouldn't have found this safe room, they might have all fallen through cracks in the ground, to the hell this world had sprung from. This was no place to rest for long, but it was safer than most other rooms. Being smoke and monster free was good enough for them. It was surprising how few places within this fortress could give them such a courtesy.

Hammer reached for his attaché case. He went through the motions of cleaning his guns one more time. "So, what's the plan? Survey the grounds? Espionage? Full assault?" He grunted, giving a sad laugh. "Retreating's not an option, I'm guessing."

Sleepy whispers came from Yoko's lap. "We need to find Soma."

Yoko and Julius frowned, trying to hide their thoughts from poor Mina. With all of the monsters roaming outside? The castle stilled? It was likely that Soma was not left to be found. A bitter bile rose in Julius' throat. Some good sealing Dracula's castle away did. All it took was some half-baked fanatics to create another one, and the old man was back in business. The only thing left for Dracula to do was cast off his wool and become a wolf once more.

What was the sacrifice of Julius' memories and youth worth?

"I need some air," Julius muttered.

He approached a sliding door, then pushed it back. Yoko reached for him. He felt her fingers catching on his coattails. The Belmont gave her one sour look. She pulled back, resting her hands on Mina once more. Even on a good day, she struggled to get the stubborn Belmont to listen to her. Now? There was no calling him back.

Julius stood outside of the room, keeping it open just a crack. He thought through his options. Without the Vampire Killer, he stood little chance fighting Soma. Perhaps his holy water vials and crosses could buy him some time. It wouldn't be enough to send the dark lord's soul packing. He rested his hand on the hilt clipped to his hip. He was no swordsman, but he had faith in Arikado's handiwork. His spear served House Lecarde for generations, stepping in when the Belmonts could not. Perhaps this new contraption of his could do the same.

He could only imagine what the dhampir was enduring now—if he lived at all.

It wasn't wise to encounter Dracula alone. Julius knew that was asinine. Perhaps Hammer and Yoko would make good companions for a fight. However, someone had to watch Mina. He couldn't leave the girl alone in any room here, no matter how safe it seemed. Dracula would thirst for her in time, satiate desires that Soma would not. Hammer was good as long as he had ammunition. An empty gun was meaningless, even in the strongest of hands. Yoko was powerful in spirit, but frail in form, supple and enticing. Julius couldn't stand to see her ending up as a meal or a maiden for the wicked vampire.

A star flickered in his eyes. Blue light pierced through red clouds. Julius tilted his head. How odd. He had expected nothing but stormy, unending night. Where did that light come from? It drifted over his nose, flying over tilted pagodas. Not a shooting star, by any means.

He felt a little foolish for making a wish on it.

The light approached him. There was white bone in its core, flashing silver. A ghost of some kind. The creatures had the run of the place, little nuisances everywhere they went. Not quite as bad as the flocks of Medusa Heads now in the skies, but a little more troublesome than floating eyeballs or bats. It approached the vampire hunter gently, bobbing up and down in a windy tide. Julius lowered his eyebrows. This was much too passive for an average monster.

"What are you doing?" Julius asked.

The specter let chains drop from its bones. They sank around Julius' shoulders, a peculiar boa wrapping around him. His eyes widened. This was no mere chain. It was his whip! Julius pulled it off him, studying the weapon's handle. There was no doubt about it. This monster had returned the stolen Vampire Killer to him, whole and undamaged.

Julius couldn't pull his jaw off the ground. "My God."

A gentle voice called for him from the safe room. "Julius? What's wrong?"

The vampire hunter stormed back into the small room. Yoko's eyes glittered at the sight of his weapon. She waved him over, brimming with energy. The Belmont sat beside her. She stroked the whip's hilt, the smooth metal kind to her familiar flesh. There was hope in this weapon. No longer did the Belnades Staff have to fight alone, her kin hidden or struck down.

"How did you get it back?" Yoko asked.

Julius pointed to the ghost hanging outside of the sacred space. "That ghost brought it to me."

"What?" Hammer shook his head. "Why would a monster do that? Wouldn't that be—I don't know—putting it and everything bad in this place at risk?"

"Maybe Soma sent it," Mina murmured.

The three adults bent down to look her in the eye. Was she that much of a Pollyanna? Then again, it wasn't out of the question. Only Soma or Arikado would have dared to return Julius' weapon. Had either the ability to do so, they would have brought it back in person. The ghost that kept patient watch outside could not have been called by Arikado. The dhampir's powers were stolen from him, sitting in a tangle inside Julius' pocket. That left only one candidate—the one with a dominating force stitched to his heart. The vampire hunter scratched his moustache. Maybe Mina was right.

"Are you waiting for something?" Julius asked the ghost.

It rattled its bony beak. That was as close to a confirmation as the hunters were going to get.

Mina pulled herself from Yoko's lap. "Does it want to take us to Soma?"

Julius looked at his weapon. If that was the case, then he knew why this weapon had been given to him. A somber thought tempered his rising hope. The Vampire Killer could undo any tainted with Dracula's blood. Even Soma, if he was corrupted enough. There had been a promise between the two, a pact to uphold Julius' heritage. Soma trusted him with his life—even revoking it. If that was the case…

He had no choice but to follow the ghost. "After you."

The blue light blipped away. It left wisps of fire in its trail. Julius kept to its path, unswerving in his devotion. He was not the only traveler to follow it. Mina was no more than three steps behind him. Yoko stayed with her, hand on the slender girl's shoulder. Hammer brought up the rear, his case slung over one shoulder, his rifle the other. Julius sighed. They all had stubborn hearts, tough wills.

"You all should keep hidden. I would hate to have anything happen to you," Julius grumbled.

"What, like how you got whooped on a roof, old man?" Yoko had no tolerance for his behavior. "Nobody's getting left alone. We can fight."

Mina nodded. "Or at least keep out of the way."

They wound across moonlit gardens, up exposed stairs. Towers blasted from each other like gnarled limbs. Some braided with each other as they grew. There was no way someone could fit inside some of the passages that wound together. It was an aberration, a cancerous growth. Everything wooden and organic bent to a warped nature's will. They were all polluted by the red rivers that fell endlessly into cracks in the ground. Even white sands were stained with their foul color.

Several rooms spread across the winding pagodas were lit with yellow light. Only one glowed fire-red. The ghost familiar drew towards it, then passed through walls. Julius frowned, sniffing the air. There was an unearthly scent here. Something rotten covered up the scent of water on metal that permeated Japanese winds. They tasted not of steel or iron, but copper.

The group ascended to the floor on high. The night breeze bit coldest before warm doors. Mina ran her fingers over wood and paper walls. How fragile this area seemed. She remembered the thick bricks of Dracula's old castle, the freezing halls surrounding plush quarters and peculiar gardens. The latter two were still present. Perhaps not a confidence-inspiring sign. Still, this tenderness gave her a bit of warm hope.

Blue flames held before a sliding door. The front of it was painted with black shadows. At first glance, they seemed like dragons, wings pointed and leathery. The heads of the silhouetted creatures were too round, ears pointed. Bats hung over dozens of moons, each phase placed across the length of the doors. Julius put his hands between them. He pushed back, squeaks erupting from the floors and paintings.

Mina gasped.

Anyone could have thought she was awed by the lavish rooms. Between the murals of bats on the walls, the overgrown plants, and the smooth furniture shining in candlelight, it was hard not to be transfixed. Material goods did not steal her breath. Rather, flesh did. Julius locked eyes on what she saw and frowned, sick that he hadn't seen the room's occupant before. He wondered for a moment if he should have held the miko back, protected her from the truth. That may have inflicted a graver wound on her heart than the one she was now experiencing.

A dark voice greeted him. "Belmont."

Long nails threw back the last of a glass goblet's contents. Red liquid swirled past thin lips, sharp teeth. The drinker sat up, unfolding his legs as he slipped from his slouch. He placed his glass gently on the ground. With a slump, he sagged out of his chair, ready to face his company. Beneath haggard hair and dark eyes was a burned out soul resigned to his damned fate. It was that stoic frown over fangs that caught them all off guard.

Soma Cruz made for a pitiful lord of darkness.

Mina jolted forward. "Soma! What's—"

"Hold it." Julius kept a hand on her shoulder.

The miko looked to the vampire hunter. Red fringe bobbed in her face. "Julius! What are you—"

"Do as he says, Mina. Stay put. Turn around, if you need to." Soma agreed with Julius' actions. He straightened his back, addressing his company with as much dignity as he could muster. "I trust you will make this quick."

Julius held his position. "If I must." He tipped his head, studying the young man. "What did they do to you, Soma?"

White hair fell with a heavy mind. "Don't call me that. I'm…I'm not Soma anymore."

Hammer shook his head. "Dunno, kid. You look weird, but you're still you."

The young man swiveled away on his heels. "Don't say that!" He was fighting a well bubbling within him, emotion spilling out of his eyes. "I'm not human. I can't be Soma. I am…was…"

He didn't have a soul strong enough to finish his thoughts. Mina gave a small whimper. Yoko stroked her shoulders, trying to get the girl to settle down. There was something wrong with Soma, but it wasn't his form. They had to investigate before they did anything rash. It was harder to raise the dead than to make them.

Julius chewed the corner of his moustache. "If you won't talk to me about yourself, the least you can do is tell me what happened—"

"To Arikado, right?" Soma finished his thoughts. "Or do you call him Adrian, too?"

The vampire hunter sighed. So, Soma knew. "Whatever suits the situation."

"There's a bedroom not too far from here. I left him with…with his mother." Soma folded his hands around his arms. He rubbed them, anxious and cold. "I am sorry. I couldn't keep my promise to either of you."

Yoko's lips tried twitching into a smile. "But, he's alright?"

The back of Soma's head ruffled as he nodded, curled hair bouncing with his movements. "He's different. Hurt. But, he's alive."

"Let's go pick him up and high tail it out of here, then!" Hammer tried motivating the forlorn kid. "Or at least kick someone's ass for putting you through this. If I get my hands on one of those cult weirdos—"

Soma shook his head. "There's only one person you need to kill here. Me."

Julius' mind snapped, pieces falling together in crisp clicks. So that was Soma's plan. In most circumstances, removing the source of a lair's power would set everything back to normal. Kill Dracula, wipe out his castle and forces, go home and have a relaxing century. Maybe it would have been the quickest fix. Hardly the best one.

"Well, Belmont?" Soma turned to face Julius, composed once more. "Are you willing to keep your promise?"

Julius nodded. "When I see Dracula, I will slay him."

That was not the answer the distressed youth expected. He jolted, footsteps angry but startled. There was more rage in the candles around the room than there was in either man's eyes. Soma stared at him in complete disbelief. How could the Belmont be so cruel? How could he let Soma live in a state like this?

"I am him!" Soma shouted.

"Are you?" Julius kept his tongue held firm, gestures slow. He walked to Soma's side, then paced around the young man. "There is no vampire lord before me. Just a scared child."

Thin fingers pulled themselves down the sides of Soma's face. "Don't you see this? Aren't I awful? I've got to be hideous. I'm him. All him."

"It was not Dracula's face that was repulsive. It was his actions," Julius corrected Soma. "Or did you find Adrian so disgusting?"

Soma shuddered. "He's beautiful. I couldn't…" He paused to stifle a weeping gasp. "I couldn't have made anything so beautiful."

Julius rested a hand on Soma's chest. "He has half of your heart. Your mind. Your capacity for logic and love—half the foundation of his spirit. His mother gave him temperance, but his powers came from your soul. The packaging around that is fair, but it's those components and how they are used that make him beautiful—that make you beautiful, too."

A shaking body pulled away. Red-ringed eyes beaded with tears. He looked to Mina, certain he would find revulsion for his face. Her expression was gentle, pained but softened by grace. Even now, even as a monster, she could look him in the eyes. None of them turned away from him. This wasn't right. People should have been running from him, screaming his name. He was all hair, nails, and fangs. He couldn't feel the warmth of his blood, nor a steady drive from his heart. He was by all definition diseased and rotten. Yet, his friends would not reject him or hurt him.

"You all are too soft," Soma growled.

"Are you trying to scare me?" Julius laughed at Soma's feeble attempt to intimidate the hunter. "Come now. I knew the second you put your glass down that you were okay."

Soma didn't understand. "Wait, what?"

Yoko laughed. "Dracula's a huge drama queen. He always pitches wine glasses and guilt-trips people. Sometimes, he hits on women." She crossed her arms, then bobbed her head. "Nice act, though. Not full vampire lord, but not a bad start!"

Soma shivered. He tried pulling back from his friends. "It won't be long, though. I can't hold out forever. I don't want you to see me turn into him. Just kill me now before it gets worse."

"If you are meant to die tonight, then it should be while you are doing something worthwhile." Julius beckoned behind him. Timid legs came to his side. "Don't you agree, Mina?"

Soma's eyes widened. He looked to Mina, struggling to accept this new edict. She smiled, then placed her hands in his. She didn't flinch as nails and cold skin brushed past her soft palms. They felt delicate, frail, warm. He could see blood flowing beneath her skin, hot and bright. She was alluring in a way he could never see before. She squeezed his hands. He squeezed back. His slowed veins took her heat, glowing in turn.

In her hands, he felt radiant—alive.

"I want to save you," Soma murmured.

Mina nodded. "So do I."

He didn't know how they could do it. If they could, even. But, for the shining hands and beating heart before him, he would help them try.

* * *

Author's Note

Sorry for the silence last time. I didn't want to break the tone.

So, I'm pretty sure that you guys caught my foreshadowing well enough for Chika and Maruki. I really didn't know what to do with Miyu's character, so I made a pull from Japanese history. It seems like my reoccurring pattern for this story is "Find something in 'Shin Megami Tensei' and rip it off!" If you look for "Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre" on Wikipedia, it should be evident why I pulled her into this story. Also, oddly enough, she lived in a location by the name of Sōma. Weird coincidence!

I did have another pick for her, but I won't quite get into it yet...

I suppose it's a bit tactless, basing a villain off an ancient historical figure. But, hey. Isn't that what the legend of Dracula is all about? That, and maybe Rasputin. Or Richard Nixon, in five hundred years.


	20. Chapter 20

"Okay." Soma went calm. "How do we fix this?"

That was a tall order. Tearing down a freshly-spawned demonic castle was a hearty task for even the biggest demolitions expert. Ridding the monsters within it? That would require quite the exterminators, but most of Soma's companions could handle that. Trickiest of all would be curing his health complication. The clock would run out the fastest on him. Nobody wanted to see such a bright young man subsumed by his undead persona. They had worked too hard for Soma to turn into Dracula.

Since that was the greatest complication, it was best to tackle that first. Julius folded his arms, then began his interrogation. "How did you become infected, Soma?"

"My memory's a bit fuzzy." Soma scratched the back of his head. "I was in this shrine, and there was this magic ritual being done on me. I got really thirsty. That's when I drank…" He winced. He really hadn't done something that disgusting, had he?

Julius waved him on. "Blood?"

"Yeah," Soma nodded.

"Arikado's?" Yoko asked.

Soma lowered his head. "I think so."

"How fortunate that they tapped the person with half of Dracula's genetics for a donation." Julius frowned. "Although, I'm curious about what spell they performed on you. Vampirism usually doesn't show up this fast in infected individuals. They may have triggered some of your dormant powers and sped your transformation along."

"So, this place popped outta the ground because of Soma going all Count Chocula?" Hammer's bluntness could not be stopped, no matter how delicate he tried to be about the situation.

"I guess. I mean, I didn't really put any thought into it." Soma groaned. "Just kind of happened."

Mina patted his hands. "Well, it is kind of pretty. At least, it is in here." She flushed in embarrassment. "Can't say I like the flesh trees outside, though."

"Sorry." Soma was just as flustered as she was. No blush came to him, though. "This whole place is a living nightmare."

Yoko nodded in agreement. She brushed her hair back. "So once you set up shop, all of these monster souls appeared. It'd be hard to ignore your power. You're pretty irresistible to them, after all."

Soma put a hand on his stomach. "Ugh. Don't remind me. They all went through me. I'm pretty sure most of them didn't leave."

"I can help you with that." Yoko patted the floor. "Sit down. Let's drain some off."

Even though Soma had a massive throne to sit upon, he was more than happy to take the floor. Both Yoko and Mina plopped beside them. The witch produced her family's tome, quick to flip to the section she needed. Julius kept back, bobbing his head in approval. The fewer souls Soma had within him, the better his own stood at remaining the dominant force inside his body. Julius knew of people who didn't have such great spiritual fortitude. One such person would have taken Arikado and Soma's lives, had the souls within that maniac not burst out of his weak body.

A soothing aura flared out from beneath Yoko. It encompassed Soma. At once, he relaxed, his posture loose. Even his breathing increased, deepened. Julius was glad to see him exhale, bubbles of light escaping through his mouth and skin. The young man was so cold, his pulse nearly nonexistent. Seeing him breathe gave Julius hope. He was still a little human, even if he didn't look it.

Hammer interrupted their silence. "Dumb question, but I'm asking it. All of these souls popped out of hell?"

"Some place like it," Yoko nodded. "They'd need an unholy place to cross through, though."

Mina bobbed her head. "That's why those cultists picked Mount Osore, then. Since the souls of the dead pass through this region, it would be the perfect place to do this to Soma." She put a finger to her mouth, thinking out loud. "Well, if we bless the area where the spell was performed, then no more bad souls can get out, right? Then, all we've got to do is clean up what monsters are left!"

"I like the way you're thinking!" Yoko beamed at the shrine maiden. "I've got just the magic for that, too. You'll want to be around when I cast it, Soma. I think it'll help you out."

Soma raised an eyebrow. "Why? What does it do?"

Yoko ran her fingers across the edge of her tome. The pages rippled beneath her thumb. She stuck her nails into the page that she needed. With a soft spin, she slid it to Soma. The young man studied its contents. There was a triangle in the top left corner. Beneath it were notes on changing eye color, warming body temperature and skin tone. The bottom of the incantation was signed with a flourished signature, the I in the last name dotted with a heart.

"That spell was discovered in a painting in Nineteen Forty-Four. It was used to cure two ladies of the Lecarde family of their vampirism," Yoko explained. "You should fully recover! As long as we cast it before the sun rises, anyway."

"You mean it?" Soma leaned forward, snatching her hands. His eyes were wide, intense.

Yoko nodded. "I wouldn't lie to you about a thing like that!"

Hope itself caused a beat from Soma's slowed heart to thump in his chest. He clutched his ribs, surprised at the sudden thunk. Mina reached over to touch him. Another went. She giggled, then hugged him. He would be okay. Long as he was willing to fight, he would make it.

Julius settled them down. "You'll have to make sure Yoko is protected when she performs this spell. It is time consuming, and it uses a great deal of power to work. Additionally, we'll want to be clear of any buildings you created in this state. It would be in poor form to heal you, only to have a tower drop on you."

"Okay." Soma's eyes widened. "Wait. Could it heal Arikado, too?"

Both Julius and Yoko cringed. Their silence gave Soma his answer. So, someone must have tried it on him before. Even a panacea had its limitations. Soma felt guilty. His old blood was the reason Arikado would keep living until someone cut him down. There would be no peaceful end for him, no quiet passing in the middle of the night. How many people had he watched die? Would Soma be one of them? He couldn't think of what it would be like to be an old man, to still have that gentle, pale face watching over him.

Soma scratched the back of his head. "Well, that sucks."

"He came to terms with his condition long ago." Julius tried to cheer up the young man. "Even if we don't cure you, you could still have a productive life like his."

"As a vampire? No, thank you!" Soma gagged. "And who are you to tell me being a vampire is awesome? Aren't you the people who wipe vampires out?"

Yoko sighed. "We don't kill vampires because they look funny or drink blood, Soma. We just take care of the ones that hurt humans." She smiled, tossing her head to the left. "You live in a very good time to be a vampire! With blood banks, third-hour shifts, sunscreen, and anger management classes, you could go on living a pretty normal life!"

Mina bumped him in the shoulder. "Not to mention all of the girls you could get thanks to bad romance novels."

Soma gulped. "Just kill me now."

"That's counterproductive." Julius pulled the young adults back on track. "Let's go collect Arikado and finish this off. The sun isn't going to wait for us."

"He hasn't seen me like this." Soma patted on his jacket collar. His eyes widened. "Oh, crap! Mina! You've got to see him!"

"W-what?" the miko stammered.

Soma pulled her up by her hands. He skidded out of Yoko's magic circle, nearly crashing into the sliding doors. Hammer laughed as the kid bolted from the throne room. Even with pointy teeth and a pallid face, Soma was still a total goof. He helped Yoko off the floor, then went to trail after the kids. Even Julius cracked a smile. For what was shaping up to be another nightmare for the Belmont clan, he was glad to see dread float away.

"So, what's the deal?" Hammer asked. "Did he grow a tail or something?"

The young man could hardly keep himself straight. "No way! That's ridiculous!" He turned around, skidding on smooth floors. "Hey! Do you have a comb or a brush? I'll pay you extra!"

Hammer shot him a flat, dirty look. "You're asking the guy who shaves his head for a hairbrush? Now who's being ridiculous?"

"I'm not following. Why do we need a brush?" Mina asked.

Soma pushed his hands through his own unkempt fluff. "Arikado's hair! It's amazing!" He couldn't pause for a breath. "It's long—really, really long! Like, all the way down his back! And it's white like mine!"

"Oh my gosh!" Mina put her hand over her mouth. "You're both yokai!"

That brought a fresh laugh from Soma. "Yeah! I guess we are!" He halted before a door, fingers flying to its latch. He pulled back on the sliding door, still bubbling with praise. "I don't know why he was hiding something like that. It's amazing! Wavy and smooth as—"

"My lord?"

"—silk." Soma's words slowed down. "Good evening."

There was a snap in Soma's personality. His friends caught it instantly. The energetic boy was hidden away, a cold regality taking up its duty. He had good reason to turn about. Standing in the room was a quiet woman. She kept still, eyes focused on them, shining silver and blue. Exquisite hair curled to her waist, her dress flowing to the floor in lush waves. For such a doll of a lady, she had a powerful presence, able to tame even Soma's wandering mind.

Soma sighed. This was where it was going to get awkward. "This is…um. Well, she used to be Beth, but now she's—"

"Your wife," Julius finished his thoughts.

Hammer crinkled his face. "Geez, kid. People don't get married that fast, even in Vegas."

Yoko shook her head. Leave it to the American to make crass jokes at a time like this. She put her hands behind her back, fingers fussing. "So, you're Dracula's wife, hmm? Which one?"

"Both," the lady replied.

Hammer was nonplussed. "Uh huh."

"I suppose the pattern fits. Elisabetha, Lisa, Beth." Julius frowned. "Still. Awfully lucky you would come around again."

The beautiful woman gave a small smile. "Fate can be kind."

Soma tried to perk up. "Well, ah. Listen." He glanced around her. "Is our son awake? I was hoping he would be—"

"He's gone."

Her curt tone caught him off guard. Soma stared at the empty mattress behind her. She was right. Arikado wasn't there. There were stains on the sheets, places where his wounds had bled through. Quite a bit, too. Hopefully, he was feeling okay. He had lived through quite the beating from Shaft's previous incarnation. He needed more rest than Soma had given him. Maybe he could catch a break when all of this was done.

"Do you know where he went?" Soma asked.

"No," she replied. "Is something wrong?"

Soma struggled to look her in the eye. "Not really. There's just some stuff I wanted to do, and I could use his help."

His wife slipped her arms on his shoulders. "Whatever you need, you may have it from me. I am more than willing to help you."

Mina grimaced. Even for a girl as sweet as the miko, this was too much. Were all girls from the dark ages this frivolous? Maybe the occasional princess was a complete and total louse, but that didn't strike Mina as the kind of person Dracula wanted to be around. He seemed like a smart guy, even if he was atrocious. It wasn't like he'd keep a bimbo in his bedroom.

She held that thought. Arikado confirmed that much to them on the train—that his mother was a doctor, a kind and learned lady.

Mina glared at the woman hanging on Soma. "You're a doctor, right? Or, you were?"

"Yes," the lady replied.

"Why did you let Arikado bleed all over the place?" Mina asked. "I mean, no mom would let her kid bleed out like this, never the less a doctor. It would have been better if you patched him up, don't you think?"

Soma's wife sighed. "He's a strong boy. He doesn't need my care anymore."

"Even adults need their parents, sometimes." Soma pulled back. "I mean, my mom helps me, every once in a while. Just with organizing my bills and the occasional meal, but I really do appreciate it."

His wife leaned on him again. "You must make her very happy."

She stared at him, not breaking eye contact for one moment. Soma blinked. She didn't. He gave a nervous chuckle. Did she ever? He turned to Mina, watching her eyes. Every other second, her lashes would go, worried eyelids heavy over soft, brown irises. Soma turned back to the woman at his side. Still no blinking. Just unending blue beams.

"I need to find him." Soma bobbed his head towards the open door. "Could you let me go? You're getting kind of heavy."

Hammer chuckled. "Geez, Soma. Why don't you just call her a cow while you're at it?"

"I know he only means well." The lady slid her hands into his. "Don't spend too long looking for him, alright? I've hardly had a moment alone with you."

Ice shot through Soma's hands. He pulled his wife's limbs parallel to the middle of his waist. She was so much colder than Mina. Every human had a little variation in body temperature and pulse, but he didn't expect it to be so drastic in her. His eyes followed cool veins and arteries, watching how they wrapped through her body. Her abdomen was empty, a pit of ringed blood vessels. No organs, save for one flicker of heat. There was nothing below her hips. No legs, at any rate. Her veins ran round and round, looping onto themselves, caught in a tangle.

His head jerked back. What was wrong with her body?

"My love? Is something the matter?" his wife asked.

Blood pulsed from a bright spot within her. It flowed through the coiled mess of her anatomy. A second heat beat inside her body. Soma's guts clenched. His eyes began tracing the new route, finding thinner veins, seeping liquid, another pulse. It was orderly, neat, compressed. His fingers trembled in hers, his human mind fighting to comprehend his vampiric senses and the horror they revealed to him.

"Why do you have two hearts?" Soma gasped.

The lady pulled back. Her jaw was dropped, eyes wide with surprise. It took her a moment to recover from Soma's words. "I only have the one, my lord. No matter how sweet you think I may be—"

"You've got two." Soma dropped his right hand to her waist. "Why is one down here?"

He pressed against the flat surface of her stomach.

It pushed back.

Bones snapped from within the demure lady, her body fighting to conceal a violent truth. It was not a stress it could withstand. What had been neatly wound into her guts slopped onto the floor. Long, thick coils spilled out, shredding her dress. They were so wet and glistening that Soma mistook them for entrails. Diamond-shaped plates cut through plump skin, shielding transformed flesh. More skin unzipped from her sides. They revealed flickers of ivory and crimson, wet and glistening, solid and liquid.

She collapsed into his arms, screaming, unable to support the sudden growth that swelled from her. Soma buckled under her. He crashed beneath thick coils. His fingernails dug into the floors, the young man tearing them up in fright. Whatever this woman was, she was no mere human. His jaw hung open at the side of her, limbs trembling, bones no stronger than gelatin.

All that came out of Soma's mouth was startled babbling. "W-what are you?"

"How could you have done this to me? How did you—" The lady's words were cut off by blood bubbling from her splitting sides. She held herself together, trembling. "Stop! Stop it!"

Mina shrieked. Julius kept her back, studying the convulsing creature with narrowed eyes. Whatever Soma had brought out of the afterlife, it was clearly not either of his former wives. Her body thrashed, choking itself with her own tail. A flash of movement under thick skin caught Julius' attention. Soma's words rang in his head as cold horror sent pangs of pain through his guts. She had two hearts inside her, and they were at war with one another.

Julius growled. "Why did you lie to Soma?"

The lady doubled onto herself. She constricted her tail, riding out the rocking within her body. "He deserved a powerful wife. They were not good enough for him. Even if they would come back, they would not be worthy to sit upon the throne meant for a queen of demons. No human woman would!"

"No," Julius corrected her. "About Arikado."

She glared at him with a look of incredulity, as if she couldn't believe he was asking something that stupid. He did not waver, even under her unblinking glare. The statement wasn't meant for her. It was meant to jab Soma into action. The young man released his grip, stumbling as he stood on weak legs. Horror and betrayal stormed in his eyes.

Julius had given the second pulse within her a name.

"You—no!" Rage burned Soma's voice. "I trusted you, and you—how could you?"

The snake with a woman's face snatched him by the shoulders. He faltered beneath her grip as she hissed in his ear. "I can make more like him for you. Give me your love and a little time. I swear to you, you will have ten times as many children as you did before tonight."

Soma seethed. "Who in the hell do you think you are?"

"Lamia, correct?"

Both the young man and the snake lady snapped their attention to Yoko. The witch crossed her arms, satisfied with her deduction. "Unblinking demon queen that devours the children of her lovers. Can't be too many of them out there."

"You think yourself clever, woman," Lamia hissed. "You had best watch your teeth."

The serpentine horror jerked forward, ready to strike Yoko. A rifle's muzzle pushed her back. Hammer put himself before both Yoko, nodding at her to step back. Soma crept away in turn, quick to take Mina into his arms. He had never felt so glad to have her at his side. No other woman could ever take her place. No damn demon, either.

Hammer bobbed his gun at Lamia's head. "Alright, lady. Back off, cough up the MIB, and I won't have to shoot you in your pretty face."

"Pretty? You think I'm pretty?" The demon caressed his rifle's muzzle. "You know just how to make a girl smile, don't you?"

Divided flesh split wide open. Hammer swore as a second mouth unfurled from what should have been her stomach. A thin tongue flicked him, snarls slipping past it. Hooked fangs were wet with fresh blood. Raging bravado froze in the face of such a mouth. There was an abyss down its throat, a drop into nothing.

The void reached out to bite him.

/***/

Author's Note

I hemmed and hawed on Beth's final monster type for a long time. At first, I thought succubus. 'Cause obviously, right? I didn't feel that a succubus' powers matched up with Beth's, even though the plot foreshadowing was there. Then I went to a Medusa for a few drafts because of the association with eye powers. Then again—wouldn't she have summoned Medusa Heads, if that was the case? So, I settled on a duplicitous cannibal queen cursed to have her eyes opened for all eternity so she could permanently see her kids' deaths. Ya know—because she ate them.

Kinda weird that cannibalism doesn't come up more often in "Castlevania" games. Though, is blood drinking analogous to it? These are thoughts I don't really want to dig deeper into.

So, I saw this picture of an angler fish mermaid one time. Messed me up. Hence the last two paragraphs. Well, that, and I did like that Daughter of Satan design from "Lords Of Shadow 2." Even if I had some issues with the game's plot, characters, and stealth mode, I can't knock the art design.


	21. Chapter 21

Pale hands snapped around monstrous teeth.

Hammer was awed by Soma's speed. He pushed spread jaws away from the American and his associates, thin fingers slipped between long incisors and canines. There was rage in his cold arms, a fury that brought his own fangs to bear. The young man was powerless to set time back and rescue Arikado from his fate inside that awful maw. His failure fueled his struggles. He could not let this fair-featured snake rip apart his friends.

The young man pushed against Lamia's second mouth. "You guys need to get out of here. I'll hold her off."

"Soma, don't be a fool!" Julius shouted.

Lamia's human head spoke, mocking Julius' concern. "You heard my lord. Let us have a little privacy."

Ice snapped at her tail. She swiveled her torso, turning to face Yoko. The witch was halfway through another bombardment of crystals when the serpent woman whipped her tail at her. The blow smacked Yoko into the side table. She yelped as her head hit sharp trim, the mirror on the table shattering below her body. Blood and glass tacked to her hair as she pulled up, dazed and wobbling.

Julius and Hammer grabbed her before another flick of Lamia's tail could squash them. It landed with a thick plop, floorboards splintering in her wake. Soma snarled as he wrestled her back. Her torso twisted over her spine, tail winding in smooth spirals as they fought. She was half a ton of lean muscle, save for the unsightly bulge in her guts. Everything about her powers involved pressure, strength inside and out.

Soma pushed her shoulders to the ground, fighting to match that overwhelming power. "Let Arikado go, or I'll cut him out."

"Why not take a third option?" Lamia rolled Soma over. His head struck the ground with a hard smack. Light scattered in his eyes as her weight pinned him down. A churn over the top of his stomach made him want to throw up. "Love me, my lord, and I will return his atoms to you in our image."

A red blur ran forward. "You monster!"

Blonde curls flailed as Mina pushed Lamia's chest backwards. There was no way the shrine maiden could compete with such a beast. Lamia yanked Soma back with her tail, then slammed Mina beneath her. Soma pulled at the appendage slithering up his neck, reaching forward with trembling fingers. His mind swam, his soul buzzing with fright. He feared striking Lamia. Two of his friends were trapped within her coils, vulnerable to being struck.

Lamia's second jaw foamed with delight at Mina's squirming. "What did you hope to accomplish, little girl?"

Mina fumed. She didn't budge as the monster leaned over her. "It was bad enough when you were just a normal girl trying to steal Soma! At least I could handle that, if you were really kind to him. But this?" She swatted the monster in her gut. "You think this is how you're going to win him—by wiping out evidence that he ever loved anyone else?"

"Don't touch my beautiful skin." Unblinking eyes flickered at Mina's appearance. "Although, yours is pretty, too. So soft and tender."

A shriek escaped the maiden as a forked tongue wrapped around her right thigh. Burly arms came to her rescue. Hammer slammed Lamia back as Julius snatched Mina up. The pair was covered by fizzling magic. Yoko's magic petered out, smacking Lamia with soft snow instead of stabbing ice. Hammer braced the witch. The blow to her head had been more severe than they thought. She sank against his chest, blood trailing down her face.

Hammer drew a pistol from his side as Lamia pulled Soma before her. The American snarled. There was no way he was going to risk a shot. He barked at Soma. "C'mon, kid. Kick her in the gag reflex!"

His words drew Lamia's ire. A blur of black scales and blonde hair barreled towards the mouthy American. Soma dug his heels into her skin, trying to slow her down. She slammed him through walls as his companions ran out of her path. The serpent crashed onto the walkways, smashing through supporting rails. Lamia doubled back, shocked at her own strength and speed. Her flailing wasn't enough to keep them on the ledge.

Air slipped beneath thin legs and thick coils.

Soma howled as they fell through layers of floors. Gravity pummeled them as they fell to the earth. Soma was sure his bones were going to be smashed into powder. He didn't know how he would survive the fall, never-the-less how the enormous Lamia could. Anything as bloated and heavy as she was would burst open like a rotten pumpkin, all seeds and strings splattering over solid ground.

Planks cracked as they landed on the bottom floor. Soma groaned in pain. He scrambled out of Lamia's grasp, his body struggling to overcome the agony from falling so far. It wasn't quite as bad as the last time he'd fallen through a tower, but it was by no means pleasant. He turned back to find Lamia recovering. Her sore skin throbbed. There were stripes down sensitive sides, places where blood vessels had snapped. She was still whole, her prey held fast in her bowels.

With a tired stagger, Soma drew his knife. "Just…just stop. Neither one of us is up for this." He gave a wave of his blade, arms aching. "If you love me, then let him go. Please."

The serpent hissed at him. The young man moaned as she smashed into him once more. Of all the people she shouldn't be fighting, it was him! He was trying to give her a chance to do something right! He pulled his knife upwards, nicking one side of her lower jaws before she pinned his arms to the ground. He grimaced as thick flesh coiled around him. Lamia was not keen on letting either man go.

"This is your fault, my lord!" Lamia chewed him out as she squeezed him tight. "If you would have listened to Shaft, I would not have had to take such drastic measures. Your ill-begotten son is a threat to our kingdom. Would you throw away global domination so quickly over one insignificant mistake?"

Soma cried out as she snapped the end of her tail around his body. His knife fell to the ground. She wrenched his wrist down as he fought to find any soul to help him. The roll in her stomach interrupted his thoughts. Such movements were too feeble for Arikado. Soma gasped, trying not to despair at that weak trembling.

Three souls resonated with him, seeking Dracula's power of dominance. He cleared his mind, listening to their call. The soul of a succubus promised him health and happiness at a single touch. Useless, since he couldn't move his arms. A flame demon gifted him with overwhelming power. He didn't dare take it. If Lamia would roast from it, so would Arikado. The humblest of monsters won his attention. He felt like a fool for not listening to its soft cries before.

White mist surrounded Soma. He fell through it, slipping through Lamia's coils on leathery wings. A tiny, fluffy bat flew up from where Soma had once been. It dove away, landing next to Soma's knife. The youth broke his transformation. He flipped backwards, landing on solid human feet.

"I'd give up my powers for any of my friends in a heartbeat." Soma snatched his knife from the ground. "Trust me—right now, I don't have many beats to give. But I'd sacrifice every last one of them for any of them."

Lamia sneered at him. "Is it your heart that is broken, or is it your head?"

The snake woman rounded on him again. One swipe was enough to deter her. Red and white fluid followed the strike of his knife. The first substance was easy to identify. Blood, of course. The second took him a moment to figure out. He only realized it when she turned to face him, fluid leaking from where her unblinking eyes used to sit. She stared at him with empty sockets.

"If only you could blind me so easily," Lamia hissed as white membranes bloomed in her skull once more.

She snapped thin fingers. Dozens of floating eyes came to her command. As they corralled Soma away from the shattered tower's floors, she spat at her king. "Do you know what it's like to be forced to see for all eternity? To remember the horror on your children's faces as you were forced to devour them? I was merciful to your son when I took him. I had a maw that could fit him whole. I wasn't forced to gnash him to pieces to satisfy a goddess' sick revenge! To see his death every waking moment!"

Soma could only stammer in horror. "T-that's awful."

"And yet, you deny me the one thing that could comfort me!" Lamia shrieked at him. Her words stung worse than the electric-tipped tails slashing at him. "If I have to fill my belly with children, I'd rather they live, for once! But here I am again, having to destroy instead of create simply because you rejected your rightful state!"

Lightning snapped in Soma's teeth. "He could have been yours too, you monster!"

The serpent shrieked at such a word. She lashed her tail at Soma, bashing him into the cursed ground. Her eyes circled around him, biting at his flesh with bolts of electricity. He shuddered in agony. She found his jolts of pain pleasing. Every twist in his jacket, every flail of his arms and legs made the surging within her seem like little more than butterfly wings grazing her ribs. Soma could not last as himself forever. Either his desperation would force him over his moral boundaries, or he would die. At the moment, she didn't care which oblivion he would fall into.

White light flashed in her guts. She gave a hiss of shock. The eyeballs swarming Soma quaked as a force ripped them apart from the inside out. Lamia herself felt rended as power flowed inside her. The prey within her was stronger than before, his thrashing shaking the whole of her belly. She curled around herself once more, fighting her own flesh.

"How many times must I strangle you?" Lamia snarled at her guts.

Soma pulled himself up. Her pain gave him a moment to strike. He slashed at her chest. She rocked back, but did not fall. He realized how ineffective his attack was as teeth grazed his arm. Soma pulled away before her fangs could dig deeper into his skin. He clutched at the injury. Blood slipped between his fingers, staining pallid flesh garnet and black.

"You bit me!" Soma huffed.

Lamia smirked. "Are you, Lord Dracula himself, complaining of a little nip?"

She leaned down to lick at his wounds. Her tongue and torso were jerked back. Soma's eyes widened. Thin arms were at his defense once more, grappling with the monstrosity that dared to call itself his wife. Mina was never going to win a wrestling competition. At least her fire gave Soma his saving grace.

Mina braced an arm around Lamia's neck. "Let them go! Now!"

"Or what?" Lamia taunted her. "Are you going to—"

Piercing metal drew her mocking to a halt.

Soma gawked as Lamia screeched in pain. Mina had taken what the forces of nature and Soma had not stolen. Lamia's tail fell dead to the ground. Mina scurried from the serpent woman, rushing for Soma's arms. There was blood on her hands. Buried in the base of Lamia's spine was the knife Julius had given Mina. Lamia wrenched it away, shrieking in agony. The action did her no good. It did not restore the strength her massive tail once had.

Slender arms weren't strong enough to carry the large bulk trailing Lamia. Her attempt to crawl forward was in vain. "You viper! What have you done to me?"

"I'm sorry." Mina folded her hands together. She was uncomfortable with the blood that had stained them. "It was the only way I could stop you. When we turn Soma back into a human, maybe you can—"

"If I can't have him, I don't want to live!" Lamia shrieked.

She moaned, unable to feel the lump in her stomach moving. Both her jaws clenched shut. She hissed at heavy footsteps approaching her. The rest of the adults finally caught up with Soma and Mina. They eyed the injury in the snake woman's back. All three were shocked to find blood not only on Soma's hands, but on the miko's as well.

Mina approached Yoko. "She's hurt."

Yoko pressed a hand to her bloodied head, smiling. "Good work."

"I don't feel too proud about it." The shrine maiden frowned. She kneaded her skirt, flustered. "If we take down this shrine and heal Soma, then she'll go back to being a human, right? I want to give her that chance—even though I did something awful to her."

Mina had an odd kind of mercy. Yoko sighed. Lamia didn't deserve such thoughts, but the human soul within her could still repent. At any rate, the bloated serpent could do no more than scratch at them. With such a bulbous mass on her hips, she was unlikely to trail after them. The worst she could do was send more eyeball monsters after them. As long as it wouldn't bite them in the ass, Yoko had no problem with Mina's kindness.

"You're way nicer than I am, Mina." Yoko knelt on the ground, observing the swelling in Lamia's tail. She pressed her hand against it. A weak nudge reached back. Much too weak. "Hammer. Potion. Julius. Knife. Now."

The first item came to her open hand. Yoko pulled the stopper out of the potion, then downed it in gulp. That was all she could afford for self care, at that moment. Arikado's health was more pressing on her mind. She stuck out her other hand, waiting for Julius to pass her a dagger. He grunted, then pulled it out a fresh blade.

Two hands reached for it.

Yoko lowered her eyebrows. "Soma?"

"Let me take care of this." Soma frowned, eyes wide. "You look like you could use a break."

She wanted to be mad at the kid. There was nothing worse than when someone doubted her abilities. Her fingers trembled as she held them out, vision swimming. Soma was right. Thanks to her head injury, she was more likely to cut herself or stab Arikado than clear-minded Soma was. She smiled, then pushed Julius' weapon towards Soma. The kid knew what was at stake. He wouldn't screw this up.

The witch smirked, fluffing Soma's hair as she left. "Alright. He's your baby."

"Ugh." Soma sighed. "Don't put it like that."

He knelt before Lamia's belly, nerves prickling his fingertips. Soft hands on his right shoulder reassured him. Mina's bravery seeped through Soma's coat and into his arms. Julius, Yoko, and Hammer rolled Lamia back. Her belly popped up, scales stretched, skin beneath bruised. Hammer snatched onto human shoulders as Julius and Yoko pressed Lamia's flesh smooth. There was little she could do to fight them, other than twist her top half and swear.

Soma steadied himself, one timid hand resting on her distended coils as he felt for Arikado. The second heart within her was slower than before. He hoped that was a good sign—that Arikado was calming down, not blacking out. A resonance of heat guided his first cut. Lamia wept, her only pain coming from her shame. There was no flinch from the second heart, no fear for what Soma was doing. That trust reinforced Soma's will.

A layer of pale fat glistened over white muscle. Soma made shallow cuts, worried more about hurting Arikado than the throbbing mass around him. White fell to pink, then red as an engorged organ quivered before Soma. With one last cut, he split the serpent's stomach open. Black bile gushed over his knees. Everyone recoiled from the stench. He screwed up his face, then pitched the knife aside. There was one grotesque task left for him.

He stuck his fingers into the gash. Weak fingers brushed back.

Soma made an undignified cry. He reached forward, burying himself up to the shoulders in gunk, flesh and slime oozing over his forehead and fringe. Trembling hands clung to his arms. Wet, ragged coughs sent delayed terror through him. How was Arikado alive? How had he not been smothered or disintegrated by acid or chewed up into teeny tiny pieces? He put one hand behind Arikado's head as he dragged the agent out. There was a hot gush against him as soaked hair and clinging cloth slimed him. Black fabric fell into his lap. White flesh clutched onto his jacket, pale hair sticking to his neck and chest.

The dhampir fought to catch his breath. Soma struggled to keep his.

"Good job, kid." Yoko kneeled next to Soma. She brushed hair out of his eyes, her own shining with pride. "Want me to finish up?"

Soma bobbed his head. "Please."

Yoko rolled up her sleeves. "You just take care of him." She turned to Julius. "I could use your help."

Julius nodded. It was just as well that he helped her finish the last leg of Lamia's surgery. He crouched down, sparing only one smirk for Soma before getting to work. Yoko patted both Soma and Arikado, then went to perform her thankless task. Another pair of gentle hands raised themselves before Soma's eyes. Soma held fast to Mina's clean hands. She helped the pair wobble to fresh grass before letting them rest again.

The dhampir was in shock, hacking up lungs filled with gunk. Soma brushed slimy hair away from Arikado's face as he composed himself, eyes pinched shut. There were gouges in his back, purple contusions winding down his throat and chest. Soma winced. This was his fault—the bruises, the injuries, the white hair beneath slime. His blindness had broken Arikado.

Soma turned to Mina, red-ringed eyes worried. "If Hammer's got any spare potions—"

"On it!" The miko hopped away, quick to fill Soma's request.

The young man's sides were burning, bite marks seeping blood. The pain was bearable. He calmed his mind and raging instincts, trying to focus on getting Arikado stabilized. Soma was careful not to touch raw wounds as he rubbed Arikado's back. The agent's coughing became stronger. Soma yanked his hair back as a disgusting roll of phlegm evacuated Arikado's lungs. Some of his stomach's contents too, from the look of it.

Soma stilled his movements. "Hey. Talk to me. Are you okay?"

Arikado nodded. "Thank—"

He locked his gaze on Soma. Both balked.

There was terror in Arikado's eyes. Genuine fear. For a man that had been trapped within a monster's guts, he was more horrified by what had happened to Soma than his own experience. The young man winced. It couldn't be pleasant to see him on the edge of becoming one of the undead. Between his fangs, his hair, his skin, and now being coated in several kinds of bodily fluids, he had to look like a monster fresh off a kill.

But Arikado? Nothing in him could scare Soma. A bolt struck his heart as luminous irises focused on him. This wasn't a bizarre nightmare, some submerged memory recalled in a fanciful light. Gold eyes. Arikado really did have gold eyes. Genetics? Magic? Whatever caused it, it was astounding. Soma couldn't stop gawking. It was wonderful, too strange to be real.

"Soma…" Arikado didn't have the courage to ask about Soma's state.

"It's alright. I'm fine." Soma wiped slime from Arikado's face. "Yoko's got a plan to fix me. Just take it easy."

Arikado took a deep breath, then relaxed. "Alright."

A soft swish through the grass halted their conversation. Mina plopped next to their sides. She yanked the glass stopper from one bottle, then handed it to Soma. "Hammer says it's on the house, but just this once." She cracked open another bottle. Her mouth moved faster than her mind as she spoke with Arikado. "Here. Drink this. You'll feel—oh my gosh!"

Soma snorted potion out of his nose, laughing at Mina's surprise. He pointed to his own eyes. "Cool, huh?"

Mina socked him in the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know!" Soma chuckled.

"There was a great deal you did not know." The dhampir bowed his head. "I am sorry."

If Soma wanted to be mad, no one would have blamed him. If he felt hurt, underestimated, betrayed by those who hid the past from him, he would have been justified in his anger. Steady limbs spoke of a truth greater than Arikado's name or Soma's nature. The young man snatched the dhampir around the neck with one arm. This was his. It was selfish and greedy to think, but in that moment, Arikado was his.

Soma's throat cracked as he spoke. "You're kind of a heart breaker, you know that?"

Wet hair rested on the crook of his neck, murmurs soft and true. "It runs in the family."

* * *

Author's Note

My first draft of this story actually ended here. Not at this plot point, but at this chapter. Hell, this wasn't even a thing in the first draft. Just decided to fluff up Beth's role. So, sorry to tell you, but you've got more to go. Unless you're enjoying this. Then, yay?

God, I wrote so many different drafts to get to this point. There was just a straight one where Julius and company helped Soma recover and cleaned up Arikado in one chapter, one where Soma figured out what to do on his own, one where Maria Renard as an avatar of Suzaku came back from the dead to help Soma save Arikado, one where Mina smacked Soma into shape while trapped in a glass ball...dudes, I had drafts. That doesn't even get into whether or not Soma did the ritual willingly or was hypnotized. Hell, there were even a few drafts where he ended up stabbing Arikado with a spear. And this is where I ended up—cutting open a snake in a moment of accidental theme repetition. Writing is wild.

The next couple of chapters are in rough shape. I'll try to get them in on time, but I've got a heck of a week ahead.


	22. Chapter 22

"I wouldn't touch him if I were you, Soma. I've seen where he's been."

Soma jerked back in surprise. Julius was standing over him, arms crossed, a smirk splitting his beard. The young man sighed. Leave it to the Belmont to break up a Tepes family reunion. The hunter tossed Soma the knife he had left behind, then knelt down to check on Arikado. The dhampir was a grotesque mess, exhausted. Being struck down by the Vampire Killer and devoured by a massive snake would have killed any normal man twice over. Julius' heart ached not only for him, but for the concerned face hovering over his shoulder. The night's events had stained sire and son alike.

"Is Beth—err, Lamia okay?" Soma asked.

Julius raised an eyebrow. "Fine as she's going to be. Yoko is just about done stitching her up. She's lucky you didn't gut her from stem to stern." He patted Soma's head. "You just worry about yourself, for a little while. We haven't gotten you out of the woods yet."

"Whatever your plan is for aiding Soma, I will help you see to it." Arikado pulled onto his legs. A rush of vertigo stole sense from his brain. He staggered, only for Soma and Mina to catch him. Julius groaned. Even as stubborn as Arikado was, he was currently as useful as a newborn foal in a jousting tournament.

"First things first." Julius snatched a chain out of his pocket. "Let's get this back on you."

Arikado's eyes widened as Julius fussed with the broken jewelry. He had thought that the trinket was lost on top of a flaming tower. The Belmont picked at one link, then forced it around the other end in the chain. His fingers pinched down. The chain's length was smaller than before, but its charms remained intact. Arikado bowed his head, letting the hunter drape the jewelry over his neck. He tucked it beneath torn cloth and wet hair, then grimaced. His relics may have survived the night's events, but not his suit.

"Does it feel okay?" Julius asked.

Arikado bobbed his head. "Perfect. All relics seem to be in working order."

A solid grin escaped Julius. "Good." He drew a black hilt from his side, then tossed it at the dhampir. "Don't cut yourself on that."

"I won't." Arikado passed his weapon off to Soma. "Please. Make good use of this."

Soma pinched his eyebrows. "Are you sure?" He stammered as Arikado's focus didn't slip from him. "I-I mean, not that I don't appreciate the gift, but if you get in trouble again—"

"I trust that I will have your protection. However, I have my armory with me once more." Arikado tapped the chains beneath his shirt.

His words made Soma's face screw up. "I thought it was some goofy jewelry Maria gave you."

Julius chuckled at Soma's blunt words. "Not exactly." He readjusted his stance, taking on an air of authority. "While Arikado is intelligent enough to perform most spells, he lacks the physical capability to do so without aids. These amplifiers help him channel higher level spells—primarily summoning and transformations."

"Like?" Soma asked.

He jolted as Arikado disappeared in a cloud of mist. Slime that had been clinging to the agent splattered onto the ground. Mina pulled away, shrieking more at the gunk than at Arikado's powers. Julius laughed at the scattering pair. Both Soma and Mina gawked as Arikado reappeared, gore free. The agent had made his point.

"Man. Probably could have used that a few minutes ago, huh?" Soma muttered.

Arikado winced. "Indeed. If you hadn't been there…" The agent snarled, canine teeth drawn out. "I dare not think how long it would have taken to bite my way out."

"You could have done it, too." Soma beamed at the sight of Arikado's fangs. He threw an arm around the agent's neck, then turned to Mina. "Check it out! He's got my teeth!"

Mina flushed red. She hid behind her fingers, trying not to let her giggles turn into cackles. Arikado sighed, struggling to correct Soma's teasing as Julius roared with laughter. "Soma, that's impossible. Even though you may be the reincarnation of my father, we currently do not share genetics. Also, need I remind you that—"

Soma patted Arikado's back. "Yeah, yeah. I know." His eyes widened, thoughts snapping back to his earlier discussion with Mina. "Mina! Come here! You've gotta feel his hair!"

Arikado's spine snapped straight. "Miss Hakuba, do not—"

His pleading came too late. Slender fingers combed themselves through white tresses. He sighed as Mina's touch slowed. She let pale spirals swirl over her skin. Even though Arikado had hair like Soma's, it was much different to the touch. Soma's was fluffy, wavy poofs trailing down the sides of his face. Arikado's flowed through her fingers, silken and gentle with its swaying. She was enthralled with both. She caught a broad curl in her hands, laughing as it bounced in the night breeze. Arikado sighed. As long as she was careful, her explorations were alright.

Julius teased the agent. "Can't ever keep people out of your hair, can you?"

Arikado nodded. "It can be troublesome."

"Oh, everything is such a burden to you," another soft voice laughed.

The group turned around. Yoko flicked an errant curl off of Arikado's shoulder, then smirked. Hammer was no more than two steps behind her. His silver case was packed up, slung over his shoulder with his rifle. He gave the transformed dhampir one look-over, then shrugged. He was far from the most awful creature the American had seen that night.

Soma looked over Yoko's shoulder. "All done?"

"Yep! She's all patched up." Yoko crossed her arms, satisfied with her work. "We'll have to move her to a safe place, though. Not that I really want to help her out, but something's bound to attack her out here."

Julius snorted. "Or we'll pull this fortress down on top of her."

"Let's move her further into the gardens, then. It seems pretty tame there," Soma nodded. "Err, assuming you guys will help?"

Hammer gave a confident flex of his arms. "Nothing to it. Just point the way, and I'll drag her there myself."

Of course, such a task was easier said than done. Even immobilized, the group was wary to approach her. She still had two sets of teeth and access to an army of peeping eyes. The serpent glared at the group as they gathered around her. Her unending stare pierced their skin. She settled much too long on Mina and Arikado. Saliva ran down the corners of her second mouth. The slime made the pair sick, uneasy.

Soma drew Lamia's attention. "Um, we need to move you." He ran fingers through his wild hair. "If you could take a human transformation again, it would be way easier to carry you."

Lamia scowled at him.

Hammer whistled. "Taking that as a no, then."

"Any recommendations?" Soma asked Yoko.

"Normally, I'd advise trying not to move her spine as much as possible." Yoko returned her own nasty gaze at Lamia. "Looks like we don't have a lot of choice in the matter."

Julius took lead of the group. He settled below Lamia's second mouth, then crouched down. "Hammer, you and I should take the thickest part of her tail. Soma, you've got her chest. She's less likely to bite you than the rest of us. Ladies, Arikado—you've got the rest. Just don't sprain your back."

The good witch laughed. "Look who's talking, old man!"

Soma grunted as he scooped Lamia's human half up. The snake gave a yelp and a snarl, but didn't retaliate. Hammer and Julius lifted the next part in unison. Arikado followed them, waiting in turn for Mina and Yoko. Even with six people lifting the huge snake, it was painful work. They would have had more luck rolling her than carrying her.

"You know," Soma wheezed, "It's kind of amazing you hid all of this in a human body."

Sharp features softened at Soma's flattery. The humbled queen managed to hiss a simple, "Thank you." She lulled her head, staring at the humans pulling the rest of her along. "What do you plan on doing with me? Will you throw me in a river? Into cracks in the ground?"

Soma shook his head. "Yoko didn't spend the time stitching you up just so we could kill you."

Mina nodded in agreement. She spared a smile for Lamia. "We're going to get you back to normal, okay? I mean, you might not be like you were, but it'd be better than living like a monster, don't you think?"

"Do you honestly believe there's anything human left in me?" Lamia grumbled.

"Whatever's left of Beth is worth saving," Mina nodded. "She's still got a soul, after all. And a soul can always learn to do the right thing."

Unblinking eyes studied the redhead. The girl tolerated her gaze with firm grace. Lamia smirked at her. Even if she was an overbearing monster, she didn't scare the shrine maiden. It was by her hand that the queen had fallen, after all. If it wasn't for her courage and affection for Soma, the serpent would still be able to fight. Perhaps she would still have a king at her side, a prince in her belly.

She owed something to that girl.

Lamia leaned her head back, staring at Soma. "You love her, don't you?"

Soma's tongue locked up. "W-what are you talking about?"

"There's no other you'd want to be with, is there?" Lamia rested against Soma's chest. "She's the one you want in your life."

Soma glanced at Mina. Her whole body was blushing as bright as her hair. Soma wished he could return the same color. His clammy skin and slow blood was killing the mood. So were Julius and Hammer's grins. Yoko fawned over the pair, hearts in her eyes. Arikado said nothing, but his smirk cracked what little was left of his stoic mask. Leave it to the adults to make everything super awkward.

He had enough bravery to speak one word. "Always."

Lamia nodded. "Alright."

Long fingers brushed Soma's arms. The young man rolled his eyes as Lamia stroked him. If this was an attempt to win him back, it wasn't subtle. "What are you—"

Fingernails pierced his arms.

Soma balked from the pain. His dip caused everyone else to stagger. The whole team crashed onto the grass. Soma wrenched himself back, nails dragging through his skin. He hollered as blood seeped down his jacket. With a sharp tear, he yanked himself away, collapsing on his rear end. It wasn't far enough back. Those same fingers grabbed his left ankle, bolts of lightning swarming in Lamia's eyes.

"Go," Lamia hissed.

Green eyes swarmed from the edges of the garden. They rocketed away, tails whipping in the night wind. As they disappeared, Julius and Hammer scrambled to Soma's defense. Lamia cackled, twisting onto her stomach, drawing blood from her wounds. Mina squeaked as claws grazed her boots. She helped Soma onto his feet while the men kicked Lamia's hands away.

"Stop hurting him!" Mina shouted. "If you loved him—"

Lamia shook her head. "If he loved me—"

Her words were drowned out by a ring of crackling fire. Wild flames raged in golden eyes. Arikado turned about, watching blackened trees erupt in columns of fire. The smoke was bending in odd directions, weaving out rather than in. This was no mere fire spell. Such magic was serving as bars to an immense cage. Despite the heat, a chill passed through him. Last night's horrors throbbed in his mind, a child's trauma still fresh after centuries had passed.

Arikado reached for Yoko's hand. "Please."

"Leave it to me." Yoko raised her staff. "One ice wave, coming—"

Green fire belched behind Yoko. The witch jumped as flowing robes stepped from the portal. She turned her attack towards the new invader. It did no good. A glossy sphere flared around the sorcerer, absorbing the attack. Ice slopped into water, raining off the emerald substance. Another blast of magic fire pushed Yoko back. Hammer caught her before she could hit the ground. She clutched at her chest, the wind knocked out of her.

"Thanks for the cover, guys," Yoko wheezed.

Her attacker wasn't unaccompanied for long. Shrieking laughter broke through the twisting smoke. A massive skull landed next to Shaft, carrying two ladies in tow. One hopped to her master's side, expression subdued and ever-neutral. The other slid free with as much slithering grace as Lamia had once possessed. She feigned a kiss, her sensuality sending chills through Soma and his friends.

"My lord! There you are. Tell these ruffians to—" A crimson star in Lamia's back caught Shaft's attention. Human emotion broke through his shield. He dropped down, wiping blonde curls from Lamia's face. "My lady. What has happened to you?"

Trembling hands laid themselves in Shaft's palms. "I have been cursed!" One hand lifted to point at Mina. "It is that witch's doing!"

"What?" Mina gawked.

"She has captured our master's mind. In her jealousy, she reduced me to this." Lamia's sobs were painful, but not for their authenticity. She was an overblown actress.

Hammer had no tolerance for her lies. "Oh, no. We're not doing this crap." He popped his rifle upright. "Just say when, Soma."

The pale young man put his fingers on the rifle's muzzle. "Easy." He leaned closer to the American. "Let me take care of this."

His American cohort sighed. He might be able to take out at least one of the weirdos before they could react, but that still left two or three people who would be keen on blasting him to Kingdom Come. It wasn't like any of them could afford an unnecessary fight, either. Hammer looked to Yoko, reading her expression. The Belnades gave him a solemn nod as she cradled her new wound. With that, he backed down. He would wait until the others were ready to back him up. A soldier was foolish to fight without his company.

Soma stepped forward. He folded his hands behind his back, struggling to take up as much of a noble air as he could. "Look. It's not Mina's fault. Beth...well, this is how she came back. Mina had nothing to do with how she looks."

Shaft scooped crimson gore from Lamia's spine. Blood trailed down his fingers as he spoke. "What of this?"

The sorcerer wasn't wrong about that. Soma lowered his head. He stared at Shaft's hands, thoughts drifting. "You've got both your hands back."

"That is of little importance," Shaft huffed. "That maiden will pay for hurting your queen."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Soma shouted.

Shaft pulled back at the rage in Soma's voice. Carmilla smirked, more amused by Soma's outburst than frightened. Takiyasha looked down on him. There was still something youthful to Soma, something energetic. This was not the lord of vampires that the reincarnated necromancer had imagined. He had the trappings of an imposing lord, perhaps, but not the mind of one.

Soma winced. He looked to Mina, fearful of the fire in his throat. She smiled, urging him on. At that moment, Soma was glad he couldn't blush. He turned back to the magicians, prepared to make another stand. It was much easier to be a nobleman when he thought of her. If anyone deserved a king or a prince, it was Mina.

"Please listen to me. I don't want to rule over you. I never wanted that. Don't you guys get it? I'm Dracula, but…but I'm not. I'm Soma, too. Just like you all are also yourselves now." Soma held his hand up to the tower where he had once confined himself. "This wasn't meant for me. I don't know who's supposed to be sitting up there, but it's not me."

Shaft lowered his brow. "Lord Dracula, what nonsense are you speaking?"

Carmilla licked one of her fingertips. She pressed it to Soma's head, tipping hers as she studied his temperature. "Oh, my. You've almost got a human temperature again. No wonder he's acting up—he's running a fever!"

"I'm not sick!" Soma pushed Carmilla's wrist away from him. "Am I your lord, or am I not? You certainly don't treat me like it."

Julius crossed his arms. He was uneasy having to hold back his blows. His words bit when his teeth could not. "They've never been subservient to you, Soma. They just used you to gain their powers."

"You are mistaken. We have always had these abilities, to a lesser extent." Takiyasha settled a placid gaze on the outspoken vampire hunter. "Although, Lord Dracula's power has significantly amplified what we each can do. To lose him would be like losing a part of ourselves."

Soma sighed. "You've already lost a part of what you were. You guys have all taken different names. Hell, even different bodies." He knelt before Lamia, trying again to appeal to her. "Come on. This can't be better than being human, can it?"

Lamia smirked at him. Her glance passed over his shoulder. "What would your mule son have to say about that?"

The young man bit his lip. It was hard to think of Arikado as anything but human, even with his unusual strengths and vulnerabilities. Soma looked backwards, hoping he hadn't offended the agent. Arikado was calm, more concerned with the fire around them and Yoko's wounds than any insult Soma had said. He gave the pale youth a soft nod. Whatever Soma felt, Arikado would support. Even he had found contentment and peace living with humans.

"He's got my back," Soma beamed. "All of my friends do."

"Enough of this foolishness."

Soma's spine chilled at Shaft's words. The sorcerer stared through him with glowing eyes. It hadn't taken Soma very long to reach the last of Shaft's patience. With one pupil hurt and his source of power about to bail out the back door, the sorcerer could no longer humor Soma's babbling. Shaft rose, blood staining his robes and fingers. There was a flicker of movement beneath them. Soma realized a second too late what he had accomplished.

He felt like an idiot. He should have asked how in the hell a human sorcerer—even a necromancer—could reattach his own limbs and have them function once more. A simple answer, obviously. Magic. Soma had no concept of how powerful Shaft's spells were until skin and scales shifted below his knees.

The scarlet wound in Lamia's spine was gone—her strength restored.

A mass of flesh smacked Soma as Lamia leapt forward. She plowed over him. The confused kid was not her target. A scream dragged glass over his heart. He rolled onto his knees, scrambling to attention. He saw Hammer's gun and Yoko's staff rise. Neither fired. They dare not hit Lamia's captive—the small tuft of red hair that peeked out through winding coils and folded arms.

"Let Mina go!" Soma roared.

Shaft sneered at Soma's rage. "I thought we had given you everything, my lord. A home. A wife. Your child. There was one thing I forgot. One last detail preventing you from your true rebirth."

Soma snapped towards the sorcerer. "No!"

The sorcerer laughed. His lord was as good as his. "I forgot to give you a sacrifice."

There was a scream, then a crunch.

* * *

Author's Note

...probably a bad time to tell you this, but I've got some family stuff this weekend. So, my Sunday chapter might be a little late. Oops.


	23. Chapter 23

Mina's shriek warped Soma's vision.

Forgotten horrors flooded his mind. He saw a woman lying dead in bed, lips marred with blood and vomit. Another was left to burn. Her lungs charred long before her skin. He saw so many people, all muted and mutilated, deformed by Death's hand. There was only one image with any pulse of life in his memories, and he choked at the sight of it. Blood on small limbs. Tears stained black with ash. A battered child harmed by merciless humans, crying out as a village burned around him.

Soma echoed that awful scream as blood splattered his face.

It took him a moment to realize that it was not Mina's.

A second object was lodged in Lamia's coils. It rested beside Mina's right arm, bracing the terrified miko with shining gold. A jade blade pierced through black scales, jutting out the edge of Lamia's lower mouth. Blood ran down the sword's length, draining into rich soil. Muscle tensed around it. Lamia yowled in sheer pain. Every movement twisted that sword deeper into her.

Soma would have kept staring, had a sharp bark not broken his awe. "Soma! Go!"

The young man jolted. He caught a flash of unearthly power in Arikado's eyes. One pale hand was held out, forcing its magic into a steep dive. At the other end of the ghastly spell sat the marvelous sword. The agent was keeping the serpent pinned down. Soma didn't waste his chance to save Mina. He rushed past friend and foe alike. The shrine maiden scrambled for his fingers. Lamia screeched beneath her, claws and teeth snapping at the poor girl. She screamed as Arikado's blade scraped between bones. Her wails turned to tears as Soma pulled Mina to safety, never turning an eye towards the serpent's desperate gaze.

"Traitors!" Shaft roared. "Savages!"

Soma recoiled at such a label. Mina huddled into his side as he spoke. "We didn't want—"

Arikado cut him off. "Run! Now!"

Soma couldn't comprehend what Arikado was doing. The dhampir wasn't moving. Hammer and Julius were frozen beside him, drawing their weapons. Yoko was at Soma's side. She pulled on Soma and Mina's hands. The young man's mind whirled as he realized what was going on. His friends were buying him time to escape, time for Yoko to purify him and the shrine where he had been desecrated.

They were giving him the luxury of freedom—paying for it with their very souls.

"No!" Soma buckled as Yoko dragged him back.

"Not the time, Soma!" Yoko snapped. "Help us save you!"

Shaft snorted at them. "You think you can take our master from us? A wasted effort."

Hammer cocked his rifle upwards. "Blow it out your backside, pal."

Roars from the earth dragged his gun back down.

What at first seemed like an even fight of three men against three mages quickly became a steamroll. All Takiyasha had to do was flick her fingers, and her army was at her side. Or, rather, beneath their feet. Gray hands snatched Hammer's legs and weapons. Julius' coat and chain were just as easy to catch. The only threat to the magicians was the intangible flesh zipping through dead fingers, lean legs blinking in and out of mist.

Lamia slumped as the gold blade buried inside her pulled free, falling into stilled coils. It rushed to its master's call. The sword snapped through undead hands, freeing Julius and Hammer. Its journey came to a sudden halt as it slammed into a green shield. Arikado flinched. The pressure from his mind couldn't drive the sword deeper the orb circling Shaft. The sorcerer snickered, then opened his hands. From him came a tide of emerald spheres. They snapped in hunger for the defiant soul standing before him.

A white coat shielded a black jacket from the shining ocean.

"Soma?" Arikado choked.

The young man lifted his left hand above his face, protecting Arikado from the wave of green orbs crashing over them. They snapped against the soft curls of his brain. His arm slammed down. Nails cracked the earth as flesh contorted. Soma howled in pain and fright. He was overcome with a wild fever, slow heart racing, body twisting. His eyes glowed green. Arikado shivered beneath his grasp. The poor man had no idea what was happening to his body.

Shaft sneered. The puppet succumbing to his magic was more powerful than he could have imagined. He pulled his fingers back, laughing. "Lord Dracula! Cast off this weak form and emerge!"

Soma screamed in blinding pain. His skin went as ghastly as the rotting hands reaching for his friends. Claws snapped the grass beneath him. His right hand clutched onto Arikado's shoulder. The dhampir flinched as Soma's nails pricked through his jacket, into pale flesh. Triceps tore Soma's left sleeve open. Thin wings ripped out of his shoulders. His temples began bleeding as horns pierced through his skin. He was a horrifying display of power, darkness tearing every last piece of him apart.

Any sensible person would have run away from Soma. Gentle hands grabbed him. Soma looked over his shoulders, to the arms clinging to both him and his child. Mina saw through the spell swarming his mind. She knew what horrifying helplessness had him bound. Trembling muscles halted under her touch. Soma shuddered, feeling like he was going to blow apart at any moment. There was so much rage in him, so much blinding pain.

Edicts swarmed his mind. A steady pulse to kill hammered in the center of his head. Roaring bravado lit a fire beneath his heart. A solemn promise went unfulfilled. Glass burst in small pops around him, wise eyes aided by silver glasses destroying the locks on his mind. Kind words wrapped him warmer than his own coat. He heard Shaft's orders so clearly, the demands to murder everyone that held him dear louder than roars from hell. Strong still were the words of his family and friends.

Through the chaos, he heard two solemn words. "Fight back."

Soma pulled his right hand off Arikado's shoulder. At once, it erupted with massive power. People scattered from him as his monstrous claw came crashing down. Glass shattered beneath his blow. Hot blood and gore oozed down his fingers. Soma opened his eyes. He gulped as his hand shrunk back to his side, tearing through the ground as it became human-like once more.

Pieces of glass and Shaft trailed between his fingers.

The young man slumped. He didn't fall far. Strong arms scooped tattered cloth and gangly legs. Soma staggered, letting his head rest on Julius' chest. The Belmont snorted. Had he not seen Soma just rip a man in half with claws that haunted his nightmares, he would have thought it a complete joke to call Soma and Lord Dracula the same person. The two were closer together than he would have liked. Soma's delicate condition was starting to crack, powers bleeding between man and monster.

"We should go," Soma wheezed.

Arikado sighed. "About time."

The six companions bolted away from three shocked witches and the mutilated figure Soma had left behind. To be fair, calling Takiyasha startled would mean that she showed any other emotion than dull surprise. Her eyebrows were lifted, but she didn't feel full-on terror. Merely, a sluggish confusion. Carmilla's stunned emotions came more from sadistic glee than sorrow for her master's death. If anyone mourned Shaft, it was the broken serpent. She did not unwind from her stilled body, blood pooling beneath her belly.

"Now, where do they think they are going?" Carmilla laughed.

Fire fast approached the group. It was nothing to Yoko's hands. One wave of ice splashed water through the flaming cage. The witch and her friends cross the edge of the flaming garden just as a new wave of energy leapt behind them. All the fire caught were the undead hands still trying to snare the fleeing troop. Carmilla hissed as she came to an abrupt stop. Even a mistress of embers could be tempered by her own powers. She flew into the sky, fire dropping flat beneath her mount as she pursued the groundlings dashing away.

"We need directions, kid!" Hammer shouted at Soma.

The young man shook his head. There was no time to faint. He looked at the scenery flying by him, struggling to calibrate himself. Trickling creeks splashed scarlet beneath thick boots. A second pulse rocked deeper. Soma could feel the fortress aching, power beating beneath desecrated dirt. This was the vein of hell that he had activated, the force drawing wicked souls forth. It was fainter than the power of chaos that had once dominated his home, but its presence was enough to shake the dead from their unmarked graves.

Soma pointed them out of the garden. "Get through those two gates. Hang a right. Head for the cliffs."

Julius nodded. "You've got it, your highness."

"Please..." Soma groaned. "Never call me that again."

Strong legs bounded through the first gate. Shuddering monsters circled the group. Some were still decorated in suits and slacks, dressed in the human trappings they had worn to the castle. Unnamed victims. Blinded cultists of minor ranks. They followed the group with empty eyes and dragging limbs. Even with Shaft's control gone, they were little better than the undead thanks to Soma's awful fortress and its corrupting powers.

The young man glanced over Julius' shoulder. The necromancer was far off in the garden, tending to whatever fetid materials grew there. Carmilla was in hot pursuit. Little bursts of fire splattered around them. Both Hammer and Yoko paused to send the sorceress scurrying away. Lightning and bullets weren't enough to stop the witch, but they gave her a good reason to pull back and rethink her attack.

Three paces before Soma's companions reached the second gate, the doors slammed shut.

Julius skidded to a halt. Even in the thick of smoke, skeletal workers moved tirelessly to wind the doors to the barricade together. What did the fire raging through towers matter to them? They had no lungs to burn. He flipped Soma over his left shoulder, snatching his whip with his right hand. If he had to beat another door open, so be it.

Pale hands forced the Belmont to pause. "Leave this to me."

Black clouds puffed around Arikado. Soma gawked as dark wings and claws burst out of the mist. He slapped himself in the head. Of course Arikado could turn into a bat. He was part Dracula, after all! A second puff of white mist erupted from Julius' shoulder. Soma was not to be left behind. For once, he had a wingman, and he was going to make sure he would keep him.

Arikado unfurled on the flaming balcony. His floating sword came to his whistle. As he hacked one skeleton to pieces, he spun about, catching short, white hair bobbing behind him. "Soma! You need to rest!"

"So do you!" Soma threw back. A flash of silver struck another monster down. He bolted towards a winding wheel, grunting as he spun the left door open. "Guess we're both too stubborn, huh?"

Arikado sighed, then manned the right wheel. "It's a family foible."

Heavy doors fell apart as the two men worked. Soma cheered as his friends rushed through the gate. Mina waved to him. He smiled back, urging her towards distant cliffs. She ran ahead, leading the charge towards a distant blotch of wood and stone stairs. Bless her for taking every weird part of him in stride. She made him feel warmer than summer days and cheap sake.

A cold shadow engulfed him.

Fire circled the base of a watchtower flanking the gate. All it took was one meteoric splatter, and the tower was cut down. Soma's eyes bulged. The tower twisted overhead, the falling building slamming in slow motion as his brain chugged. A flash of black mist sparked his mind. He flew after Arikado on pale wings. Even that wasn't enough to escape the crushing blow.

The impact would have flattened him, had claws not buried themselves in Soma's back. The white bat shrieked as black wings folded around him. The pair fell between cracks in the barrier, the force of displaced air itself enough to send them tumbling. Soma crashed chest-first through one paper wall, bouncing out of his transformation as he landed next to shattered beams. He coughed, wincing. If he was going to keep falling through things, he was going to have to ask Hammer to start packing parachutes.

"Arikado?" Soma coughed.

Long legs dangled over him. A snapped beam supported Arikado's weight. He grumbled, struggling to get his bearings. All that his moving did was finish the beam's cracking. The agent smashed next to Soma's side. That drew another groan from him. Soma winced. It was a miracle that either of them had survived.

Soma pulled Arikado up. "Come on. We've got to—"

"Yoo, hoo! Boys!"

Black fog surrounded Soma. He heard half a squeak, half a command. Soma got the message. He flipped into his bat form, diving after Arikado. Both squeezed themselves into a tight cranny. It was all they could manage to do before a floating skull lowered rotten probes through jutting, burning halls. Soma's stomach rolled at the sight of them. They squirmed towards the bats, poking tendrils leaving a trail of slime.

Soma huddled into Arikado's fluff as Carmilla stared into the shattered floor. At least the agent's dark wings could hide him. His body shook as he forced himself to hold his form. Being compressed into such a small body drained his powers. It wouldn't be more than a minute before he would spill out as a human. Perhaps two before he would choke to death in the smokey ruins.

"Come on, your highness. Don't be this way," Carmilla pouted. "We could have fun together! We always did have similar tastes in women, after all." She paused to smirk, putting a finger on her chin. "That blonde looked like quite the treat, don't you think? And your little redhead too—how cute! I could just eat her up! No wonder you didn't want that awful wife of yours! With a dish that cute on the side, I couldn't give her up, either!"

Soma's angry chirping went silent as Arikado gripped onto him with sharp claws. The white bat gave his counterpart a scowl. He shuddered as deep brown eyes turned upon their hiding spot. Soma swallowed his rage. He was lucky his words came out as nothing more than peeps to human ears. Carmilla didn't turn her attention away from the gutted floor. If anything, she looked more eager to draw them out.

"Nothing?" Carmilla sighed. "Then, I guess I'll just have to call your wife."

Scratching broke through what used to be the gate's entrance. Bloodied hands pushed timbers aside apart. Thin shoulders slipped through, then a thick tail. Even in his odd vision, Soma could see there was something wrong with Lamia. Her eyes were unfocused, tail still broken into slashed chunks, scales popped from skin. Another squeeze from Arikado kept him from screeching. Lamia shouldn't have been moving in such a state. Hell, given the amount of blood loss and wounds she had suffered, she shouldn't have been alive.

She wasn't.

Soma had seen a fair share of zombies in his time, and he was staring right in the face of one. Her nostrils flared as she caught Soma's scent. Slimy jaws parted. He fussed under Arikado's wings. If she could stomach the tall agent, swallowing a couple of bats would be nothing to her. His muscles ached, his mind drowning inside his pain. The last place he wanted to burst to his human form was inside of her. He didn't want to test how elastic her skin was.

Carmilla cleaned her nails, waiting for the kill. "You'd better come out, my lord. Your wife isn't feeling so well. We—well, Taki—did what was possible to save her. An operation like that makes a person really sick, don't you know?" She smiled, then leaned towards Soma's hiding spot. "Come on out. Give one of us a kiss. Make my night, or make her feel better."

The white bat growled. She was playing with them! He looked to Arikado. The black creature unwound his wings. He wouldn't dare mess around with fighting Lamia again. He studied the serpent queen's face for a moment, queasy at the hollowness in her cheeks. If he had known she was to have such an awful fate, he would have cut her head from her shoulders and given her a quick end.

A deafening screech left Arikado's throat. Soma put claws over his muzzle as both the snake and the witch pulled back. More screaming came to Arikado's cry. Brown and black leather swarmed the smoldering space. Soma yipped as Arikado jumped from their spot, leaping into a cloud of bats. Dark and pale wings rushed past two sets of nails, climbing up and out of the debris. Both tore into the stained sky as Arikado's company flanked the two bats.

"How did you do that?" Soma asked.

Arikado flicked his ears. "I have quite the number of familiars, one of which is a rather…amorous bat."

Soma nodded. "Uh huh." He looked to the bat hovering no more than a couple of centimeters above Arikado. "That one?"

"She tends to bring quite the company with her," Arikado sighed. "Brave ladies, but—"

"Wait. They're all girls?" Soma gawked.

If a bat could be embarrassed, Arikado was. "Most of what comes to my aid is female. It must be some quirk to my magic."

"I don't think your powers have anything to do with it," Soma snorted. "Man, I've got to learn how to call for help from other bats when I'm one. Can't do it unless I'm a human. I burn up my magic too quickly."

Arikado dipped below the white bat. "And what would Miss Hakuba have to say about that?"

Soma's fluff bristled. "It's not like I'm looking for a girl!" He turned his head down, then squeaked again. "Except for that one!"

A pale blur of leather broke from the company of bats. Human eyes turned upwards. Slender hands reached into the sky. Soma was a meter above Mina when his magic finally ran out. The young man squawked as he collapsed onto the poor miko. Both tumbled to the ground, yelping in pain. Shouting turned to laughter as Mina scooped Soma's head off of the grass.

Arikado was more graceful about his landing. He unfurled onto trim legs, then straightened his torn jacket. "Sorry for the delay, Miss Hakuba."

"It's okay! I'm just glad you two are alright." Mina called out over their shoulders. "Everyone! Found them!"

One set of boots bounced from the rubble's edge. Julius patted Soma's back. He had no doubt Soma had survived the building's collapse, given how upside-down the world around them still was. Two more pairs of feet scurried from a creek's side. There was a fresh tear in Yoko's leggings, a burn on Hammer's right shoulder. Soma was glad to see them vertical, even if they were a bit roughed up.

More people came to Mina's summons. A ball of fire burst out of the burned ruins. Shimmering silk parted through debris, placid eyes tracking Soma and his companions. Hundreds of burned-out faces and atrocities closed around them. The young man winced. How did Takiyasha have any fealty to any human life, never the less those of her fellow sorceresses? No wonder she had been so eager to cannibalize Lamia.

"Uh, new development, by the way." Soma reported. "Lamia's a zombie."

"Oh, good." Julius nodded. "Shaft's a ghost."

Soma stared at Julius. "What?"

Julius pointed to the top of the fortress wall. Bloodied robes floated above the flaming chaos. Soma's hair stood on end. Beneath torn cloth were glowing eyes, reedy cackles. What circled him were no longer the perfect spheres Shaft had used to dominate minds in life. They were crackling with unfettered embers and sparks, waiting to spill onto the skulls below him. Soma groaned. Until they put the necromancer out of business, everyone would keep coming back.

"Well, they certainly are efficient about recycling," Yoko sighed. She threw a thumb over her shoulder. "What's the call, guys? Do we take the queen, or do we save the king?"

Takiyasha sniffed once. The specter of Shaft's soul roared with cackling. Everyone flinched at the fallen necromancer's laughs. More zombies echoed the ghost's laughter. If Soma and his companions wanted the royal witch, they would have to carve their way through hundreds of corrupted, rotting minds. That was not a fight even the most foolhardy of soldiers would risk. Especially not with just six fighters on hand.

Arikado pinched his eyebrows. "Soma, get to the shrine. Now."

Soma sighed. "Why are you always nagging me to get to places?"

* * *

Author's Note

Sorry about the late update. I was having a case of—you know, it doesn't matter. I was late. That was not okay.

That's one thing that always irritated me about Soma's powers in "Dawn of Sorrow." You could summon a bunch of bats, and you could turn into the bat, but not at the same time! How am I supposed to get my bat squad on when they're both blue souls? Ah, well.

Kind of weird that Shaft was such a chump-ass bitch in "Symphony of the Night", considering the absolute nightmare he was in "Rondo of Blood." I mean, he was a marathon boss, then a reprisal boss! And what's he got half a decade down the line? No summons, no second form. Just a bunch of balls and a possessed vampire hunter.

RIP Soma's coat.


	24. Chapter 24

Where no human could invade, nature broke through.

Not even the twisted fortress could fight against the jutting stone that climbed out of castle's walls. From higher still came jets of sulfur, trickling scarlet falls. Sickly trees raised limbs to garnet clouds, lit only by pinpricks of starlight scattered across a black abyss. Carved into the side of the stone walls were stairs leading to an open pavilion. Some of the undead sat in adoration of it, worshiping the very spot a demon king had been reborn. Other eyes turned to the horde now rushing towards it, their monarch evading a mad pursuit.

Mina was horrified by the state of the shrine. Pieces of white ribbons were scattered across worn stone stairs. Torii were rotted. Some were cut apart, bursting at their tops in headless timbers. It wasn't that the shrine where Soma had turned had merely been forgotten by time. It was purposefully desecrated. No shrine maiden could bear such a sight.

"We've got to purify this place immediately!" Mina stomped her foot.

Yoko nodded. "Planning on it." She spun on one heel to face Soma. "At the top?"

The pale man frowned. "Yeah."

"Then, get up there!" Yoko nudged him onward.

Soma wasn't sure if it was the myriad of eyes studying him that made him sick or if something was breaking down in his soul. Running hadn't done anything for his constitution. Black cloth flanked tattered cotton. Arikado glanced at him, then disappeared in black smoke. Soma's form melted into white mist. Two bats rushed to the top, eager to secure the shrine for Yoko's ritual. A cloud of leather wing followed them. Soma was as much the king of demons as he was the lord of bats. The latter would always be in his attendance.

"Cheaters," Julius huffed at the bats. He hiked up the stairs, grimacing as he studied their surroundings. "This place is going to be a nightmare to defend."

Hammer grumbled in turn. "Maybe the stairs will slow them down."

Hardly. The pyromancer at their tails rose above them all on her ride, splattering fire on friend and foe alike. Ghosts sent more embers their direction. Mina patted a spark out of her hair. Burning silk caught her attention. Those awful cultists had scorched a bow right off of her head!

Ice from Yoko's fingertips kept the cultists back long enough for Soma's friends to reach the top of the shrine. New magic flickered around them as they passed through wooden columns. Yoko's eyes widened at the curling darkness coating spaces between the pillars and the shrine's roof. The spell emanated from Arikado's mere thoughts. His irises glowed as he focused on holding the barrier in place. Bats clambered into the roof of the shrine, released from their servitude to the dhampir and the infected human. They paid witness to the shrine's contents with soft chitters, beady eyes.

"Drop that," Yoko chastised Arikado. "You know how light and dark magic reacts."

Arikado's eyebrows pinched down. "How long will it take you to cast it?"

Yoko pulled out her tome. "Oh, let's see. Thirty seconds to prep, fifteen to execute."

"Then I will drop the barrier in forty-four seconds," Arikado replied.

Yoko rolled her eyes. "Ass." She spun to Soma, then patted his shoulder. "You're going to want to sit down, sweetie. This is going to be rough."

Soma plopped onto his rear end. Mina knelt beside him. He smiled, fangs flashing. She was always there to hold his head up, even if he could not. He held her hands one more time. He wasn't going to miss the slow pulse, the cold body temperature, the fangs, bloodlust, or any other part of Dracula's demonic powers. But seeing humans glow with warmth? Being able to trace the lovely channels that spread through Mina's skin? He would miss that.

"Ready?" Yoko asked.

"Yeah," Soma nodded.

Yoko flipped to the purification spell. Hammer kept watch over her shoulder, more interested in what the witch was doing than the magic itself. Julius stood ready for any interruptions. Even with Arikado's barrier, he could see shadows shifting, claws and fire raking against the walls. The dhampir held it in check, even though he was a bit distracted by Yoko's work. Everyone was counting on her to perform this right. If Soma could not be saved, then they would all be damned.

White magic flared around the shrine's base. Soma's head sunk at the mere touch of it. His stomach rolled for a moment as he tried to steady his senses. Another pulse, and he went limp. Mina cradled his head, letting him rest in her lap. She gave him a gentle smile. He returned it. She had seen him through so many hells. He squeezed her hand, reassuring her. He felt like he was going to pass out at any moment, but he was comfortable with that thought. Long as he was with Mina, he would be okay.

One more thump twisted his heart. Soma went rigid. Yoko's chanting blurred together. Not that he could understand what language she was speaking before, but now it was nothing more than bubbling echoes in his head. Fire passed through his skin. Collected souls seeped out of him. They wrapped around Hammer's legs, scurrying away from Julius. A gold one sought Arikado's attention, feminine cooing seeking his attention. His cold glare sent it flying away.

Hell grumbled beneath Soma. Chaos itself begged him to stop Yoko, to pull her tongue from her mouth and her voice from her throat. He lulled, ignoring its cry. The choir of bats screeched above him. Monsters outside begged for his council. His fingers slipped from Mina's hands, but she grabbed them once more, holding them tighter. He sank into the softness of her leggings, the folds in her skirt. If that was where he was meant to die, he'd be glad to rest there for all eternity.

A ball of light erupted from the shrine's core.

Walls as dark and thick as storm clouds vanished. The spell passed through the shrine, spilling radiance down stone walls and running water. Monsters and men screamed as the scalding light burned their souls clean. Not even the most benevolent of black mages was immune to its judgment. Bats rushed away from the shrine's guts as their prince staggered. Julius grabbed Arikado before he could sink. Both turned their attention back to Soma, eyes wide and worried.

"Soma?" Mina called for him.

There was a peach flush in his face. Long nails relaxed, growing round and smooth. Sweat-tacked hair fell in puffs. Mina placed a finger between his lips. Cute canines were pulled up, no longer as sharp as a viper's fangs. His pulse steadied, flesh warm, breathing deep and steady. He was human once more.

He was unconscious.

Yoko stroked the side of his face. "Oh, sweetheart." She wiped a tear from her eye, smiling at Mina. "He'll be okay. Give him a few minutes."

Mina beamed back. "Thank you."

"What have you done?!"

The group snapped their attention to the front of the shrine. Julius and Hammer snapped their weapons up. Arikado called for his. They let dark eyes take hold of what Soma had become—rather, what he had returned to. What had once been Carmilla wailed. Her companion kept her emotions in check. She studied the group with palpable hatred.

"Stand down," Julius warned the necromancer. "You have lost."

The cultist studied him with black eyes, clips and combs dangling from hair that had fallen from its elegant style. "What have we lost?" She raised a hand behind her. "Look. We still have our powers. We still have our fortress. All you've done is hurt Lord Dracula and his subjects."

Hammer raised an eyebrow. "Subjects?"

Screaming drew him to the shrine's edge. What had been left of Maruki's cult and hypnotized crowd had been stripped of their grotesque forms. Some had not survived the transformation. They lay in white hunks and oozing slime, seeping down stone and grass. Others ran screaming from the necromancer's reviving army. Shaft's ghost had not disappeared, though its flight was warped, uneven. Lamia had reverted to something humanoid, legs torn from sloughed flesh and bone. She was by no means a living individual. Her skin was still cracked and scaled, her hunger devoid of thought. She closed jaws around one young man's flesh, peeling him apart in bite-sized chunks.

"Goddammit!" Hammer swore. He raised his rifle to the necromancer's face. "Let them—"

A pale hand swatted him off the side of the shrine. Everyone cried out as Hammer stumbled down the path. His swearing gave them hope. Even dinged up, the American would keep going. He was much too stubborn to die.

Gold flashed before the necromancer's eyes. Thick bones burst from the ground, catching the spirited blade before Arikado could cleave her in two. The dhampir snarled, lips pulled back to reveal his heritage. "We will never let you have him again."

"Fine," Miyu and Takiyasha agreed. "Then I'll take you first."

Metal teeth stabbed through Arikado's right palm. The dhampir jerked back as the necromancer pulled her hair decoration from his hand. She placed the comb in her mouth, wiping it clean with her lips before tucking it back in her hair. Gold magic burned rings around her black eyes. Arikado pulled his sword back, disgusted. Only the most twisted of humans would dare infect themselves in such a fashion.

"Julius," Arikado murmured.

The vampire hunter nodded. "Poor choice, lady."

Delicate hands yanked both men over the shrine's edge. Julius stumbled past the necromancer, confused by the blow. Arikado rolled only once before taking to flight. He caught the pyromancer's eyes flashing from the shrine. She waved the dhampir off before blowing him a flaming kiss. He grumbled. For as fast as she had lost her morale, it had billowed back.

Sharp boots clacked on the shrine's floor. Both wicked witches snapped around to find a curtain of ice slamming their direction. Yoko snarled, putting a hand before Soma and Mina. Her wand crackled once more, lightning pushing the cultists back. If they were going to be throwing everyone out of the shrine, then Yoko was going to get a few ring-outs as well. Both backed off, hissing at the witch.

"You got him, Mina?" Yoko asked.

The shrine maiden nodded. "I'll do what I can."

Yoko flashed her famous smile. "Stay strong, sweetie."

The good witch dove out of the shrine. Strong arms caught her as she rejoined her friends. Hammer's rifle was tossed over his shoulder, completely spent. His attaché case was thrown at his feet. The last of his pistol ammo was accompanied by sparks. He grinned as Yoko took over crowd control. It was hard to get reloaded without a little cover.

Julius was no slouch, either. He focused on the fluttering remnants of bloodied robes. He had not forgotten the indignity he had suffered as the ghost's toy. Not only did he have to settle accounts for his own soul, but he had to make it up to his ancestors—to those that had suffered a similar fate. There would never be shame in wearing the Belmont name, long as Julius made good.

It was a little trickier to track Arikado. He moved down the shrine's steps, ghosting in and out of mist as he dodged skeletal swipes and flames. Julius chuckled as he watched the dhampir waltz through a war zone. Leave it to Dracula's child to have such a way with women. Julius' chain snatched the wrist of the necromancer. He yanked her aside, preparing another strike as she pulled cultist corpses from the ground for her aid. It wasn't right for one man to hog all of the ladies' attention, after all. Even an old man could still get jealous.

The pyromancer squealed as Arikado slashed through her mount. The massive skull shattered under the blow. She fell through bone and bubbling flesh. Grimacing, she hopped onto her feet, fireballs at her fingers once more. "How dare you! You are not worth touching anything of mine! Don't you know who I am?"

"A very confused girl," Arikado replied.

Hot palms struck him across the face. The pyromancer spat at him. "I am Lady Carmilla! High counsel to Lord Dracula! The most beautiful of his servants!"

Arikado blinked. "You are delusional."

An ancient sorceress and a misguided young lady spoke from the same soul. "You would dare talk down to me? Men weep in my presence because I refuse to love them! Women throw themselves at me in adoration! Who are you to doubt me?"

"Very well. Then prove it to me." Arikado steadied his sword. "I know stories of Carmilla. Of her…conquests. Call your faithful lover, if she will come. Speak her name."

The pyromancer staggered. Memories were burned out of her mind. Was Arikado tricking her? Did he speak the truth? Then why didn't she know about some old partner of hers? She glared through him, her eyes hotter than solar flares. What did he know, anyway? He was a perversion of nature—too pretty for any man. She would tear away the mistake between his thighs before she would dare spare another lewd thought on him.

"Liar!" Carmilla and Chika spat. "Traitor!"

Raging fire drove Arikado into familiar fangs. The dhampir shuddered at the touch of nails against his shoulders. Empty eyes and a dangling jaw bore a mindless craving. He shuddered. Even now, tattered and twisted, there was still something to Lamia that reminded Arikado of his mother. He could bear the memories of fire and family no longer. He released his sword, guiding it home. It buried itself in a putrid sheath.

Scaled flesh slumped to the ground. The golden hilt clattered against stone steps. Arikado called it back, pulling it from the top of Lamia's head. Gold and jade shimmered in her throat as the sword dislodged. The dhampir's own reflexes gagged. He held a hand up, daring not to look as his own fire burned away the mockery of his mother's image. This was too repulsive for him to withstand. He sank down, disgusted with his own actions.

The girl could not come back. Neither could his mother.

Seething in his ear taunted him. "You're no fun, you know that? I was hoping to burn Beth later."

"She was your friend," Arikado hissed.

"She was a lump," the pyromancer replied. "A big, fat waste of time."

Freezing needles stabbed the twisted witch away. Yoko's eyes flared with a frigid blast. She was done with the pyromancer's wicked words and vanity. The way she settled eyes on the Belnades was uncomfortable. Yoko wasn't a threat to her. She was something to seduce, to take as another lover. Not that quite a few demons hadn't looked at the gorgeous witch like she was their next girlfriend, but that never stopped being uncomfortable.

"You stay the hell away from him," Yoko snarled.

Carmilla and Chika shared the same awful smile. "You stay put."

Raging fire circled the witch and her ward. Yoko scoffed. Did the pyromancer think this was going to work again? She slammed her foot down, ice erupting from her heels. The witch wound up her staff, then shot one more splash of ice off with a solid swing. The pyromancer went flying. Yoko was disappointed that she didn't land face-first into stone floors. A better person would have felt sorry for such a young, misguided lady. Yoko was a good witch, but not a saint.

New fire came to attack her. It didn't come from the pyromancer.

Black-clad arms pulled her down as a flying abomination raked overhead. She peeked through white hair, aghast at what had swooped overhead. Rotted claws and fetid breath passed another wave of fire over the shrine's base. A zombie dragon. She recounted the limbs, then corrected herself. Zombie wyvern. Whatever it was, it was awful!

She snarled, then snapped her wand up, nearly clocking Arikado in the head as she counter attacked. Her spell was coupled by a new blast of munitions. Even for a ferocious beast, the wyvern had no chance. It exploded in a ball of meaty hunks. She raised an eyebrow. Her spells were powerful, but not that powerful. Yoko snapped her attention to Hammer. The shopkeeper was jamming a fresh round into a long tube, whistling to himself as he reloaded.

"Oh, sure! Now you whip out a rocket launcher!" Yoko barked.

Hammer shrugged. "Didn't need it befo—run!"

Yoko spent a moment too long comprehending Hammer's smeared sentence. Another shadow engulfed her. Yoko shrieked as a behemoth tore itself from the ground. Hooves slammed down, horns drawn, the witch and the dhampir caught in its direct stampede. It smashed into Lamia's corpse. Both gagged at bursting flesh. Only the faintest glitter of silver saved them. Julius marched to their aid, kicking some slain foe's ribcage from his boots. He bristled at the close call. There were way too many monsters around, too many people he had to worry about.

"This is getting old, and so am I," Julius huffed.

Arikado shook his head. "Please."

"Who in the hell keeps tagging these monsters in?" Hammer asked. He snarled as another zombie wyvern rippled in the air.

Yoko's eyes narrowed at a flash of green magic. "Looks like the ghost with the most."

Julius snorted. His ancestor's notes came to mind. For as obsessed as Richter was with his battles and how his passion for fighting had nearly cost him his life, it did make him a fantastic documenter. Shaft's methods were branded in his brain. Over two hundred years in the afterlife hadn't taught the sorcerer a single new trick, nor had his short life as a human. Even the atrocious Dracula had learned temperance and acceptance of his fate.

He wondered what his ancestors would think of awkward, gentle Soma.

"You got it, Grandpa?" Hammer teased.

Julius unfolded his coat. "Watch me."

He pulled out his family's most famed counterpart to the Vampire Killer. Embossed silver caught even the faintest sparkle of light. The edges were rounded, fixed for perfect aerodynamic flight. Most Christians would have flinched at the unorthodox manner the Belmont family used a cross to repel evil. Even so, there was no denying its power and Julius' mastery over it.

One cross flashed through an oncoming summon. The beast ripped in half, falling apart in two neat chunks. It flew back to leather-clad fingertips. One more caught Shaft's robes. The spinning weapon tore through fabric. Another drilled against the glass soul trapped within the specter. Julius was a sight to behold, some sort of mad dervish or wicked juggler. Even in old skin, his vitality glimmered through, shining with his sweat.

Glass and cotton rained to earth as a soul disappeared into smoke, the last of its screams as breathy as its form.

It took a moment before anyone spoke. Even then, Arikado's hand masked his grin. "Well done, Belmont."

"Learned from the best," Julius smirked. He turned his attention to the witches still standing at the shrine's base. "Ladies? Are we done?"

Both the necromancer and the pyromancer were blown away with how easily Julius had undone their master. Not that there had been much left of him, after Soma had destroyed his body. The pyromancer fumed, her skin pink. The necromancer kept her odd calm. "Disappointing."

Arikado slipped from Yoko's fussing. "Shaft always talked a greater game than he could play." He relaxed, reaching a hand out. "Come, now. There's no more need to fight."

"You want us to go with you?" The pyromancer's face curled. "Suit, you're an idiot. What's left for us back in Tokyo? Just a jail cell, and I am way too pretty for that."

"Oh, come on!" Hammer groaned. "I don't need to see another dead girl tonight!"

Carmilla's—Chika's eyes narrowed. "I'm taking what's mine."

The pyromancer lunged up the shrine's stairs. The necromancer forced her onward, conjuring one more skull to let her companion fly. Yoko hissed as the sorceress rushed over their heads. Her eyes were focused on the contents of the shrine towering above them, on the precious little miko and the exhausted youth lying in her lap. The Belnades witch would not let her have either of them. They were much too dear to her.

Icy nails ripped through the air. With a single thought, Yoko tore the pyromancer from the sky. Massive bone and delicate flesh alike crashed to the ground. There was a burst of blood as the giant skull was crushed. No life sprung from the cloud of dust. Crimson fluid stained a face fixed in an eternal, dazzling smile, rushing over beautiful skin and curls, staining pink clothes red. Two of Yoko's icicles had struck true, piercing the foolish girl's fevered heart and mind.

Yoko stared at her atrocity, then turned to yell at the necromancer. "And you?" She threw her hand towards the pyromancer's bleeding, mangled body. "Is Dracula worth this?"

"…No." Takiyasha and Miyu agreed. "We are."

Gold flared in black eyes. A synchronized flash of color flickered across the shrine. It spread throughout the fortress, past fleeing victims, in each and every undead mind. The same fire surged in Arikado's eyes. He stumbled as wicked power pulled him down. Julius and Yoko's hands braced him, snapping him out of the necromancer's spell. He could hardly breathe. She was using the same power that contaminated his blood—the magic that came from Dracula himself.

Bone and flesh locked. Demon and human alike weaved together. The amalgamation grew heavy, wide, gargantuan. All who kneeled to Dracula's might now came to the necromancer's call, linking with her body and soul. The force before them was not just a self-appointed member to Dracula's council. It was not just an army. It was the entire kingdom, everything that loved and praised Dracula and the nightmares that he brought, all bowing to the pull of his corrupted blood.

Hammer gulped. "I'm gonna need a bigger gun."

* * *

Author's Note

I decided to update super early today to make up for being late this week. So, there's my gift to you!

I don't usually put stock into people's way of thinking being different based on their gender. That seems to be more of a socialized element to me. However, there is something to be said about the unusual pains you get from living around certain people. Like, have you ever stepped on a hair clip? That hurts, man! And I don't think a dude knows that unless they have a sloppy lady in their house.

Can you tell what my initial plan was for Miyu? Most Sorrow games end in fighting a conglomeration boss, so it's odd that said individual was more of a weird one-off in "Aria of Sorrow." However, I felt jumping right to that would be a phenomenally bad deal for her, so I tried to reach something a little more in culture for her. Found out about Takiyasha through this piece of art where she's summoning a giant skeleton, so that's how that name got pulled. I suppose I could have gone full "Samurai Zombie Nation" and used Masakado's head as an enemy, but I thought that might be a bit tasteless.

So, that's how things came together—in more ways than one.


	25. Chapter 25

There was a cry for him.

Soma went rigid, eyes wide, jaw dropped and howling. The cacophony calling his name hammered against his eardrums. That awful weeping, the groaning and pleading for him—he couldn't stand it. He wanted to leap forward, to join whatever congregation still worshiped him.

Wild thoughts cooled at a single touch. He fell back, collapsing onto Mina. Her hair fell over worried eyes. Thin fingers weaved into his. His and hers squeezed together, trying to reassure the other that hell had not taken them. Soma felt like garbage, but he had to get up. He couldn't let himself be a burden to his friends any longer.

"What's going on?" Soma wheezed.

Mina shook her head. "I-I don't know. There's been so much screaming."

Soma's legs shook as he stood. Sweaty palms reached for a black hilt. Soma drew the sword he had borrowed from Arikado. He eased his breathing, trying not to panic. Even in his weakened state, he had to protect his companions. There would be no more rest until this fortress was emptied.

"Where are you going?" Mina asked.

Soma staggered towards the shrine's stairs. "Got to help."

He stared down the shrine's base, into the bowels of his kingdom. Atrocities lay all around him. As he stumbled down the stairs, a creeping nausea flooded his stomach. Just a few steps down, he found the pyromancer's corpse. Melting ice had gouged through her, leaving nothing but a foul smile. One more flight, and he found a mashed pile of skin and scales. Soma lost track of the bodies rotting around him, of torn cloth and blood. Standing before him was the greatest of his mess—his poor friends frozen before a gargantuan demon.

Soma clapped a hand to Julius' shoulder as he stumbled into line. "Legion?"

"Soma!" Yoko squeezed the young man. "Glad to see you're okay."

He patted her back, his smile warm and free of demonic fangs. "You too." He shook his sword at the bulging, winding abomination. "Leave this thing to me. I've handled it before."

"Absolutely not." A stern reprimand came from a thick veil of white hair. "You're in no condition to—"

"Don't start, Arikado!" Soma shouted. He lowered his eyes, embarrassed. "Neither of us are."

Arikado didn't fight back. Soma was shocked. If bossing the young man around took too much energy for him, then he must have been about ready to roll up in a coffin and pass out. Soma looked over all of his companions, finding unraveling threads in each of them. Julius' shirt was torn to his sternum, hair and blood spilling over his vest. A button was missing from Yoko's dress. Her heels were worn flat, feathered hair fluffing out of control. Hammer's face was coated with ash. He braced his greatest weapon against his shoulder, another rocket primed and ready to go. All over each one of them were fluids that didn't belong to their bodies, charred fabric, scratches and stains.

Even his shredded coat was in better condition than they were.

It was cruel to ask his friends to continue fighting. There was no choice. The wailing mass would not stop until it was destroyed. Or, worse yet, it claimed its king. If they were going to fight to save him, he was going to step up and do his part. It was only fair.

Soma looked to Julius. "Front line?"

"I can take that," Julius nodded.

Soma smiled. He turned, ready to give his next orders. "Everybody else? Keep back. Provide supporting fire if you can, but don't get near that thing." His eyes settled on Mina. "A-and if it looks bad—"

Mina wouldn't hear it. "We're not leaving you!"

Soma hung his head. Mina hadn't given up on him when he was a monster. Like hell she'd leave his side when he was a man. He rolled his shoulders back, then stood tall. If he did well, he'd never have a reason to worry about her. The wind blew between them, pulling Soma's silver pendant against his coat. He lowered his eyes to the chain, the blue stone that lay against his sternum. If Mina was going to be faithful to him, then he was going to return that loyalty.

Soma slipped the silver chain over his head, then placed it on Mina's neck. "Here. Keep this safe for me."

Mina smiled, shaking her head. "But I gave it to you. You can't return a gift!"

"You can give it to me again when I get back," Soma replied.

Hammer coughed a rude statement behind a closed fist. Yoko swatted him in the gut. Soma's attitude brightened. If his friends were back to their teasing ways, then was sure that they would be alright. He looked to the vampire hunter that kept sparing his life. A smile curled beneath his moustache. How Soma had ever earned that man's faith, he didn't quite understand. He was just glad to have it.

"Are you certain about this, Soma?" Glowing irises settled on Soma's darkened eyes. "You have lost all of your powers. There are no souls within you, other than your own. You have nothing more than a sword against an army."

Soma stood firm. "I have all of you. That's all I need."

Arikado fought not to sigh. There was something endearing about the young man's stubborn resolve. Who was the dhampir to doubt him? He brushed fallen hair back, looking between both Soma and Mina. Silver caught his eye. The young man's generosity sparked fuel in the dhampir's soul. There was one more thing Arikado could do for Soma.

Long fingers snatched a gold strand beneath a torn shirt. Arikado unclasped the strand of relics, then pulled it from his throat. He locked the chain around Soma's neck. Ever fussy, he tucked the chain beneath the collar of Soma's shirt. Julius frowned. The dhampir was shooting himself in the foot. Still, it was hard not to honor such a gift when it was for someone so dear.

Soma didn't understand what he was doing. "Arikado—"

"Just think, and the relics' powers will come to you," Arikado cut him off. "Use them wisely."

Pale fingers folded over the chain buried beneath black cotton. "Okay. Thank you."

"Now, go," Arikado ordered. "Your people are waiting."

Odd way to talk about an amalgamation demon. Soma stared at the pulsing ball of flesh. Where in the hell had that demon even come from? He was slow to approach it, his mind and heart racing. Julius kept pace with him, no more than two steps behind him. The monster shifted as Soma approached, writhing at his very scent. Undead bodies dripped from Legion. They crawled upright, eager to stroke his skin.

There was a shuddered groan from the multitude. "Master!"

That was a title Soma never wanted to wear.

He shifted his left foot out. He braced one sword before him. Another swirled into existence behind his back. This jeweled sword felt familiar to him, like how easy it was to call Alastor's soul. A hum from the sword buzzed in his ear. Soma was surprised to find the gold blade had its own mind, that it was very much pleased with the comparison to the powerful soul. Soma smirked. Even sentient swords had their own monarchs.

Two blades slashed forward. Magic and technology worked in unison, cutting through the first wave of sloughed undead. Soma felled one bleached corpse, the golden blade spinning through three more. It moved with its own will, hungry for blood and his new master's approval. Soma let it roam free. It knew what was doing.

A scream was pulled from a dozen throats. Soma's attention snapped to Julius. He and the lady of House Belmont were a silver nightmare. Even with such a dainty weapon, he could tear through solid bodies. Legion flinched as he reached its base. It shed putrid beings upon the hunter. He threw them back, jaw clenched.

"Incoming!" was the only warning Hammer gave the two men.

Munitions blasted through the top-right side of Legion. The horde screamed as one. Soma buckled beneath its weeping. New tendrils wriggled from beneath the horde. They seethed white light. Soma and Julius fell back as the creature took aim. Rolling lightning cut it off. Yoko took up Hammer's barrage, buying him time while he scrambled for another rocket.

"How many of those do you have left?" Yoko asked.

"Two," Hammer grunted.

The witch snickered. "I'll never understand how you can pack so much in one little case."

Hammer snorted. "It's my own brand of magic."

Glowing light caught Hammer off balance. He stared at the dhampir in their ranks. Arikado's magic was weird, to say the least. At least the fireballs, Hammer could get. That's what most wizards used, anyway. But this strange white force that billowed from him? Hammer could not make sense of it. The substance drew heat out of the air, spiraling towards the nearest targets in homing gusts. The dhampir called the same light back, pulling it out of undead bodies, causing the demon to quiver as his magic picked at its guts. Such a cycle was eerie. It synced with his breathing, flowing in rolling currents.

"Do I even want to know what this is?" Hammer muttered as he pinched a trail of fog.

"Spiritual energy," Arikado explained. "Souls contain varying levels of power. Containing that strength requires a level of power that only Soma has. The best I can manage is skimming off surface-level energy for restoring my health and redirecting the soul's remaining components as a projectile."

"Sounds great!" Hammer nodded. "I'm just going to shoot it."

His bluntness tore one more hole into Legion's ranks. The creature yowled. Soma pulled back, hands braced against his ears. His guardian sword continued working for him as he straightened his thoughts. With bodies dropping rapidly, there were fewer voices screaming at him. It made the monster's attempts to speak clearer. He straightened himself, then stabbed through the dropping crowd again. With any luck, they'd have one side stripped bare in no time. All it would take from that point on was attacking the core.

Both of his swords rose to slash at Legion's side. They clanged off a new surface. Soma stepped backwards. There was something solid beneath the bodies struggling to cover the demon's innards. Soma cut through again. He caught bones beneath swarming flesh. They were tacked together with a bluish-black sealant. One of his eyebrows arched. That was new.

"Julius!" Soma called the Belmont. "You've got to see this."

Vision as sharp as a hawk's glare studied the new material. "A second layer? Fascinating. Just like—"

A belch of fire blew him and Julius back. Fleshy tendrils spat flames over its own constituents, setting the fortress walls bracing its girth ablaze. One more trail of embers reached for Soma and Julius. The hunter disappeared faster than Soma could comprehend. So did the young man. He felt his body's molecules spread thin, as if he was little more solid than a cloud. The sensation was too much for Soma. He reappeared on the shrine's stairwell, gasping for breath.

Soma patted his ribs. "Holy crap! What was that?"

"Remain calm. You merely activated a mist relic," Arikado chided. He paused, then encouraged Soma. "It does take time to get used to it. Don't fret."

"It felt like my body was going all over the place," Soma gasped.

Mina cheered him on. "It's okay, Soma! You're doing great!"

The young man flashed Mina a smile before he jumped back into action. Her faith boosted his spirits. Sure, the demon's screaming was more obnoxious than ever, but a quarter of its shield had been torn away. Julius was back at it, clambering over burning walls to get better strikes at its sides. If the old man could keep holding his own, then Soma had no reason to complain.

The white-haired man slid down the shrine stairs. He steadied his mind, the golden sword familiar back at his side. Two more strides brought him into a sea of flaming zombies. He exhaled, letting his body spread once more. Dracula's power reacted to Arikado's relics. He moved between packed corpses, shifting from place to place as he cut towards Legion's bony layer. His friends and the floating sword cleaned after him as he continued his ghost stepping. He smirked, grateful for the chain beneath his shirt. No wonder Arikado was so reliant on the charms. Their magic gifts were a life saver.

"Let's see what we can do about you," Soma muttered at Legion's second layer.

His swords struck the bone shield's side. There was some shifting, but little breaking. Bodies squirmed towards him, crawling over the bared gap in their defense. Soma flung a finger out, commanding the gold sword. It raked the zombies back, revealing the source of the shift. A fine fissure ground against bony plates towards Legion's middle. It wound vertically up the beast, flanked by fused vertebrae. Soma slashed the collapsible blade against that. There was a crunch, another shudder.

Soma smirked as a stream of ichor seeped from the crack. "Gotcha."

He twisted one blade. The second followed. Both magic and man-made weapons pulled against the other, tearing the gap wider between the bony plates. Brackish liquid sloshed over his boots. Whatever was inside Legion's shell was rotten and stubborn.

Muscle ripped between two swords. Soma clapped a hand over his mouth as slime and half-formed flesh burst from the massive demon's innards. A hot, putrid scent filled his nose. His eyes beaded at the demon's grotesque contents. There was a core, eight tendrils reaching out to strike. It made its home within one tiny body, sitting between ribs and pelvic bones.

The remains of Maruki's necromancer stared at him with empty eyes.

Soma froze.

He knew that he should have been stepping away, ordering his sword inside, finishing the job himself. His muscles would not respond to his thoughts. He couldn't open his mouth to speak—to breathe. All he could do was ogle, brain bubbling as the demon's voice rang clearer than chapel bells within his skull.

"Rule us," Legion begged. "Join us."

Hammer's munitions tore through Legion's plates. Soma and the demon shrieked as one. He fell to his knees, brain warped in pain by the monster that had snared his thoughts. Shadows ran in his swimming eyes as his friends fought to reach his side. One tendril flicked Julius off its hide, as if he were no more of a nuisance than the flies that grew within Legion's putrid shell. Another lick of fire forced Soma's support line backwards. Soma gawked at raging flames, the shadows beyond them begging for him to move.

One hand fought the pull on his mind. It clutched grass, dirt. The other followed. He crawled on his stomach, struggling against a pressure building in his brain. Every other sound was warped, disappearing in the echoing murmurs that seeped from Legion's core. A corpse led the chanting, her choir following in dissonant chords.

"We have your blood," Legion confessed.

"You have my blood." Soma screamed within his head. What was it saying? Screw that! What was he saying? Was Legion making him speak? How?

Legion's speaking continued. "We want your flesh."

"You want…" Soma gulped. "My flesh…"

"Make your kingdom," Legion demanded. "Give us flesh."

Soma's limbs went numb. "Take it."

Chemicals flooded from the center of his brain. Apprehension faded into desire. He felt giddy, drugged—so good. It would be nice and cozy inside Legion. He would never be lonely or frightened within such company. They had only his needs in mind. They would make sure no one could hurt him again.

A tendril reached to take him in.

Black cloth took him first.

Dark magic crackled beyond the filmy glaze in Soma's eyes. A white blur faded to black as another shadow overtook both Soma and the intruder. Dozens of bodies poured over them. Legion's tendrils pressed against the shield separating Soma from his new kingdom, seeking to pick through cracks. The young man stared blankly at the man shuddering beneath Legion's strength. He smelled blood. Good blood. Tasty.

Soma crawled over the shuddering figure. His hair was soft, eyes glowing, breath warm. A flash of seeping light revealed a trickle of blood running from his sharp nose. Soma laughed to himself. Arikado was trying to save him again. He could always count on the dhampir to put his life on the line for the young man. He fought so hard that his body was collapsing under the pressure from Legion. Why was he struggling so? Soma wasn't in any danger. He felt coddled, safe—happy.

The agent yelled at him, but Soma couldn't hear his words.

Smoldering eyes sank beneath thick eyelids, long lashes. Worry drew a frown from thin lips. Arikado was starting to understand Soma's state of mind. Nirvana was real, and it was in Soma's brain, flickering with bursts of endorphins. He cradled Soma against his neck. The young man nestled against him. Good child. He was so obedient. Soon, they would all be together. Arikado, Mina, Julius, Yoko, Hammer—all part of a big, happy family.

He felt Arikado's eyelashes close together on his forehead. "Please forgive me, Soma."

Prickling nerves snapped through Soma's brain. He'd heard Arikado! Not just a swirl of voices saying the same thing, but an actual, unique thought! His drowning spirit surfaced for air. Cold, smooth palms rested on the sides of Soma's head. A cloak of darkness surrounded his thoughts, hiding Soma from the smothering choir. They spilled into a new vessel, swarming a soul as deep and dark as Soma's own.

Legion needed Dracula's flesh. They got it.

Soma gasped as Arikado's shield dropped. The agent slumped above him. His expression was blanked, mind emptied. The last of his strength had gone into protecting Soma's soul from probing forces. Fingers and claws sunk into his back. He didn't flinch as tendrils pulled him up, ripping him from Soma's grasp.

Grateful words burned in Soma's ears as Arikado's voice joined Legion's choir. "Thank you, Lord Dracula."

* * *

Author's Note

Remember when I used to post things on time? Oh, boy. Didn't we used to have fun, then?

The draft for this fight got around 5,000+ words. Normally, I try to post 3,000 word long chapters. So, you can see where that was a bit of a problem. After some hemming and hawing, I decided just to bite the bullet and split the chapters into two parts. Much like your average greedy Hollywood producer and your favorite books!

I was also a bit concerned that I wasn't getting certain powers balanced appropriate, that certain characters weren't being heroic enough, etc. Screw it. Sometimes you've just got to charge the windmill.


	26. Chapter 26

The demon's hunger was satiated with Dracula's bittersweet fruit.

It called its forces back. Pallid flesh pulled into bone, folding into place once more as tendrils yanked Arikado back. Its limp trophy disappeared in the thick of bodies, drawn into the festering abyss that had stolen Soma's mind. He screamed, his fingernails digging into the sides of his head. If it hadn't been for his weak soul—his stupid, cowardly persona—

He flinched at the sensation of blood running down his fingertips. Soma released his head. This wasn't the time to give into self-loathing. He could tear himself apart after he had done the same to Legion. He pushed his hair back, then groaned, black strands trailing in the corners of his eyes.

He stopped. "What?"

Soma pushed his hair forward. Black as ebony. He gasped, twisting strands around. This was Arikado's doing. He had shielded Soma the same way he had hid himself from the young man's spirit for so long. That was why Legion let him go, why it mistook Arikado for Soma. His body had been changed once more, concealing his true nature in darkness.

He would take this transformation. It was far less bothersome than his last.

Panicked legs rushed past him. Soma looked to his friends, wondering if they would still recognize him. Hammer kept rushing on, more focused on punching zombies in the face than Soma's new hairdo. Julius was in the thick of battle as well. He was right to be more worried about Arikado's fate than Soma's. Yoko and Mina both stopped to gawk at him. It took Yoko a second to see through the disguise, her eyes sparkling as she identified him. Mina knew him right away. She grabbed his hair, fussing over his appearance.

"W-whoa," Mina gasped. "Soma, you look…"

Soma winced. "It's not bad, is it?"

"You're just fine, kid." Yoko nudged him onto his feet. "C'mon! We can admire your new hairdo after we rescue your beautician!"

She made a fair point. Soma nodded, drawing his swords. The trio closed the gap to the demon, calling wild powers to their aid. A flash of fire burst back a patch in Legion's fleshy surface. Twin blades lodged into the crack again. Soma cried out as he tried to pry Legion open again. His arms felt numb, legs weak. Pulling Legion apart was as ridiculous as chopping a mountain in half with a sword.

Meaty hands pushed on the summoned gold sword. Hammer swore as he worked. "Goddammit! What eats a rocket and lives?"

"Demons." Soma huffed as he wriggled the collapsible sword. "They just don't fight fair."

Hammer agreed. "Right on, bro—oh!" His eyes bulged. "Geez, what happened to you?"

"Dye job," Soma replied. "Don't get jealous."

The American snorted. "Yuck it up, drain clogger."

Howling squads fell from above. Both Soma and Hammer winced as they rained down. A blast of fire pushed one set away. Silver chains banished more. Julius and Yoko snarled at Legion's counterattack. One more pop pushed a wave back. Blue and white fire spilled from a glass jar as Mina unleashed a deluge from Julius' loaned vial. She turned back to Soma's side, pulling the collapsible blade back. Her strength didn't add much, but her presence soothed Soma's mind.

Soma blew fringe out of his face as he kept working. "Man! This is a lot harder than before!"

Julius turned to study Soma's problem. He kneeled between Hammer and Yoko, then drew a hatchet. He slammed into the same vent the others were trying to crack open. Blood seeped down his weapon. A flash from Legion's guts pulled it back in. The Belmont raised an eyebrow. That wasn't typical behavior for the demon.

"It's healing itself with its own blood." Julius shook his head. "That's Arikado's—"

The older gentlemen groaned as a second pulse of magic rushed through him. Everyone choked, throats going cotton dry. Mina braced herself against Soma, fingers on her chest. It felt like someone had sucked her guts out through a straw. Only Yoko had enough sense to hold the horde back as everyone caught their breath. Even her waves of ice could only do so much.

"Definitely Arikado's magic," Julius nodded.

Hammer pinched his eyebrows together. "What, you mean that soul stealing nonsense?"

Mina held a hand on her stomach. "I can't take another one of those."

"Then we've got to get into that shell and cut him out right now!" Soma growled.

Hammer rolled his eyes. "Right. Let me go get my tank."

Julius wiped a trail of sweat from his face. Hammer was right. Nothing short of a major blast was going to get them inside that shell. He groaned, knowing what he had to do. There was one technique he had that could tear stone columns from castle walls. That would rip Legion wide open—and probably give Julius a heart attack.

He'd rather burn his heart than have it broken.

"Everyone. Prepare to attack." Julius cracked his knuckles. "I'll open him up."

Yoko lifted an eyebrow. "Old man, what are you doing?"

Julius smiled. "Doing what a Belmont always does."

Fire as bright as starlight erupted from Julius' back. Blue flames pushed against Legion's side as Julius' holy blood fumed with power. A sign of sacrifice followed the length of his arms. His feet left the ground. Flooding him was enduring faith, the knowledge that the sun would always rise, that darkness would flee from light.

Flesh pulled from the plate's gap. It fought the vampire hunter's holy brand, muscles tearing in thin gaps and charring against divine flames. Hammer slammed the broader sword between Legion's plates. Cutting through it was like striking gum with a stick. More resistant than sinew was Arikado's magic. Dark clouds and violet waves began trickling down Legion's bloated mass.

Soma balked. That was Arikado's shield! The group was out of time. As soon as that barrier coated Legion, not even Julius' sacred powers would be enough to break it open. He clutched the relics beneath his shirt. There was one rash option left to him. He had no choice but to take it.

The young man dissipated into fog. Everyone gasped as he slipped between the gaps in Legion's muscles. It wasn't a millisecond after his mist transformation ended that Legion snapped shut once more. There was beating against the shell, screams for his name. They all fell away as Arikado's magic fused into place.

Soma stood in a dark, wet hell.

No light could pierce Legion's shell. Its tendrils were tucked in, winding around his legs like curious dogs. Skeletal hunks caught on his jeans. Unfortunate souls tried to grab his ankles, begging for his attention. He stepped on something soft. It popped beneath his feet. Crying voices echoed off the hollowed center of Legion's core. They drowned out his friends' worried calls. There was only one comforting part to Legion's guts, one light in the darkness. It came from glowing, golden eyes.

"Arikado!" Soma shouted. "Drop the shield! We're trying to help you, but the others can't get in here! You've got to stop—"

White fumes pulsed from Soma's torso. The young man sank into humid floors. He held a hand over his heart, furious with Arikado. That soul sucking spell ripped a cold, bitter wind through him. His hissing turned to worried pants. Arikado's eyes were little more than yellow crescents. His eyelids hung heavily, his body slumped forward. If he could fight his actions, he had no strength to do so.

Soma pulled Arikado's sword familiar from sheer aether. "Just hang on. I'll help you."

A round of light laughter bounced off Legion's walls. The demon wasn't mocking him, bearing no malevolence. It merely thought him to be amusing. Such a reaction raised the hackles on Soma's neck. It wasn't just Arikado's surrendered throat that bent to the demon's wills. It was thousands of voices, all speaking as one, all slaves to one master.

"Who are you?" Legion asked. "You are…so curious."

A crush of black magic fell on his head. Arikado's disguise kept it at bay. If there was any sign of Arikado's true will, it was that. The choir snarled, displeased with Soma's resistance. It reached out to him with undead limbs, shaking tendrils. He slashed both back. He was a prisoner in Legion's guts, but not a thrall.

"Let us hold you," an old man's voice begged.

"Let us kiss you," a sultry woman murmured.

"Let us…" Arikado's jaw fought the words coming from his mouth. "Help…you."

Soma flicked a finger towards the sound of Arikado's voice. The shining sword whipped through the air. Gushes burst as limbs struggled to slow the blade down. It came to a clanging halt mid-air. Soma winced, struggling to see what had happened. Another cloud of black magic caught the sword. Soma scowled. That damned shield again! Legion was going to drain the marrow out of Arikado's bones before it would dare let Soma take him back.

Legion reprimanded Soma. "Do not touch our lord."

"Do not…" Arikado's echo lagged. "Touch…"

Soma grimaced. "Your lord?"

"The flesh and the blood," Legion yammered. "The eternal beauty of the night. The lord of darkness and demons. Lord Dracula is ours!"

Soma snapped at the demon, his speech undignified as spit flew from his clenched teeth. "He is not Dracula! He will never be! He's too stubborn to be dragged down to your level, you maggot-eating monsters!"

He gasped as speeding flesh zipped towards him, prepared to strike the insolence out of him. Claws twisted past his face. Soma tipped his head. That wasn't the direction he expected the appendage to go. It should have had a direct bead on his neck. Did it mean to miss him?

His eyes widened. "Arikado?"

Legion strangled words from the dhampir's throat. "Let us…Let…me…"

Soma burned with pride. Arikado's eyes were fixed on him, breathing ragged but steady. Two souls that had nearly been snuffed out by Legion's smothering strength now fueled each other. There wouldn't be much time until the rest of the demon caught onto Arikado's deception. Even his rebellious thoughts would betray Soma within seconds.

The agent groaned. "Soma…"

"Arikado! Your shield!" Soma shouted. "You've got to drop it!"

"Drop…" Arikado nodded. "…Shield."

Light flared in the abyssal bowels. Soma covered his eyes. Legion's appendages bent in odd angles. They spat white laser fire and flames from each end. Even the mutilated tendrils blasted power from their severed flesh, cauterizing their own wounds. Immense power met with no resistance as Arikado's magic dispelled. Legion and its poor captives screamed as one as its own intense magic and the stubborn will wielding it split it in two.

The cracked shell crashed into surrounding fortress walls. Wood shattered beneath such a heavy load. A waft of stench so dense that it was visible bloomed from Legion's guts. Flopping flesh and mangled zombies flared above and below Legion's halves. Soma pulled himself from a layer of blood as thick as jelly. He slopped his fringe back, gulping fresh air.

Soma wondered if he should have clarified which shield he was talking about.

He gasped as thin arms caught his neck. "Soma!"

The exhausted youth laid an arm around Mina's shoulder. "Hey, Mina."

Mina ripped off a hunk of her skirt. She dabbed gunk away from Soma's eyes. "That was amazing! How did you do that?"

"Do what?" It took Soma a moment to realize what in the heck she was talking about. "Oh, crap! Arikado!"

The scarlet sky revealed the dreadful abomination that nested beneath Legion's shield. Squishy appendages and pink membranes were supported by a cage of bones. The remains of the necromancer were chained to corpses climbing up to rejoin their core. Tangled in the mess of tendrils and bones was Arikado's body. What little was left of his consciousness had gone out with the blast that had torn Legion apart. The dhampir was drained dry, face hollowed.

Soma snarled. "Julius."

"On it," the Belmont nodded.

Soma struck first. Gold and jade lanced through the air as Soma guided the blade to its destination. Pressure from Legion's mind had no hold on him. The blade landed with a thick squelch in its target. Not in the core itself—above the knot that held Arikado. With a violent, sharp twist, sinews and snarls came undone, raining bones onto the bloody remnants of Legion's shell.

Old strength caught what ancient grace failed. Arikado was little more than snarled hair and tender flesh in Julius' arms. Even light pressure from Julius' fingers was enough to leave bruises in Arikado's pallid skin. Julius pulled back, muscles protesting from the abuse his body had suffered throughout the night. He would bear his own injuries proudly. No Belmont would ever hide the way war painted and sculpted them.

"Status!" Yoko demanded.

The Belmont ducked out of the way of a flailing tendril. "Alive." He winced as another slammed down. "Struggling to keep it that way!"

Soma drew Julius behind him. "Leave it to me."

He flicked two fingers at the sword guardian. It drew back, then lanced upwards. Soma buried the familiar within Legion's core. Crafty lightning from Yoko's fingertips tracked towards the golden hilt. She let the monster fry. Even a weapon as mundane as Hammer's pistol started drawing damage. Zombies crawled up, desperate to protect the core, but he peeled them away one by one.

Legion screamed—writhed—but did not fall.

The power that had freed Soma and Arikado now turned against them. A whirl of fire spiraled around the remnants of the fortress. Everyone leapt back. White light singed the ground. Soma grabbed Mina out of the way before it could burn her out. Flesh boiled beneath Legion's powers. Its old meat wound around its core, drowning the necromancer's skeleton in gore.

"You're going to need another weapon," Mina laughed.

"Couldn't hurt!" Soma agreed. "Hey, where did that other sword—"

A delicate hand landed on his sternum. There was a second flush of power from Arikado's relics. One more sword familiar manifested itself. Soma glanced down, gawking at Mina's focus. Her irises flicked. The additional blade danced under her instruction. It snapped against rubbery flesh, tearing an appendage in half.

Soma's mouth went dry. "That works!"

"Let's finish this and go home!" Mina cheered.

Soma smiled. Home. It was one of two reasons Soma had fought so hard to turn away from Dracula's powers. The other was pressed against his chest. He put a hand behind her back, then redoubled his efforts. He had got them home once, and he would do it again.

There was no darkness in his eyes. Winding gold worked as one, slicing tendrils aside. Fire dribbled as liberally as blood from Legion's core. Booming sound cracked in his ears. If it was from Yoko or Hammer's hands, he couldn't tell. All that mattered was that the demon was exorcised, its components put to rest.

He saw a small jawbone shift, a twinkle of metal in fire.

A pillar of flames went up. What was left of Legion disappeared in its purging blast. Soma winced at the flare. He sheltered Mina as another ripple of power tore through the air. Their swords disappeared in a cloud of gold dust. Soma rested his nose on Mina's shoulder, watching as ash rained down. The only screams left were that of cold winds blowing debris and embers through the gutted fortress. Even that disappeared in a black gale. All that was left of the mighty demon and its multitude was a tarnished, char-stained barrette.

They were gone. Maruki and his girls. Some of those who had been taken in Kichijoji. More who had came willingly from the village. Men and monsters, zombies and skeletons, anything that would have worshiped him. It was all wiped from the earth.

There was no joy from their deaths. There was only silence—peace.

A jingle of chains drew Soma from his darkened thoughts. Mina slipped silver jewelry around his throat. He held a hand over his blue jewel, blessed to have his pendant back. She left one more gift on his forehead. What had once been as pale as moonlight flushed as red as the sun. Yoko and Hammer whistled as Mina pulled back.

She giggled. "Kind of felt the earth move on that one."

"Me too," Soma confessed.

"That would be another tower collapsing."

Both young adults turned their attention to Julius. Worried thought flared in Soma's mind. He rushed to Julius' side. The Belmont was not offended when Soma's attention snapped to the bundle of black wool wrapped in his leather coat. Timid fingers pushed Arikado's hair back, studying what little life was left in the dhampir. There was no stubborn strength in him, no regal aura. He looked desiccated, fragile—as old as he really was.

"We need to go," Julius murmured. He stared at the crumpled body in his arms. "We can't rest here."

Soma's response was slowed by his worry. "…Okay."

"Wait," Mina called. "One moment. Please."

She paused at the tiny decoration abandoned by its wearer. Mina covered her hand with the hem of her skirt, then picked the warm jewelry up. She rushed it to the shrine's top, then paused to bow, leaving the trinket at its entrance. One last invocation rang in the shrine's desecrated structure. Shinto and Christian prayers joined in worship. The little temple would need a priest to properly exercise it, to rebuild its torii and surround it with shimenawa ropes. Sincere faith would heal what greed had inflicted upon the sacred space.

Such hope and devotion made Dracula's soul burn. This had been a wicked god's cruel tragedy, another twist in fate that ripped lives from the face of the earth. Soma quelled his anguish. He had not lost anything. The will of the divine had given him another chance to get it right. Even the lord of darkness could pay homage to forces of light, to those that had saved him and his child from another fall.

Though, he could no longer be called lord. He had no kingdom left to rule.

* * *

Author's Note

It was this far into writing that I discovered that Julius actually never uses knives. Which makes sense, given the cross' use, but dammit! I beat Julius mode in "Dawn of Sorrow"! You think I would have remembered such a thing.

Just a little bit left. Go ahead and get your tissues ready.


	27. Chapter 27

There were one hundred and forty seven photos texted to his phone.

Soma sighed, head lulling as he scrolled through them all. Most were blurry or black. Some were too clear. They all must have come from Beth before she died. How she had managed to take so many, he didn't know. It was like they were all from her head.

He dropped his phone. His skin ached for the warm glow trickling through the spa's papered doors. Soma rolled onto his right hip. Sunlight soothed him, quieted Dracula's soul. Being deprived of the sun's rays for so many centuries made Soma long for the light. Silver jewelry. Garlic. Lots of garlic.

His head sunk. His gaze wandered to the curl of fabric by his side. Suitcases outline the heap on two sides, providing support for the spine resting against them. A sheet was draped over top that to help block out the sun. It had been Julius' suggestion—a makeshift coffin to protect Arikado.

Soma slipped his fingers beneath the sheets. Thin, bony digits were balled together. He scooped the fist up, then let it rest in his hand. They felt a little warmer, a bit smoother. Whatever regeneration Arikado was undergoing, it was slow to patch him up. All the same, Soma could tell a tiny bit had changed. That comforted him.

There was a knock on the room's frame. Soma called to it. "Come in."

"Just me." Mina peeked around the door's edge. "Yoko wants to know if you're decent."

Soma shrugged. "I've got pants on."

Mina flushed red. "I-I mean, we'll have company soon. Agency members are coming. They're investigating what's happened."

"Oh." Soma's vision sank. "They're probably going to arrest me."

Mina's face crinkled. "What for? You weren't the one that ruined a priceless cultural site and killed a bunch of innocent people!"

"If I hadn't been…" Soma looked towards the mass of bedding at his side. "Did anyone else make it?"

The miko sighed. She pulled the door open wider, then leaned on its frame. "Yeah. Hammer's talked with some people. He's helping survivors calm down and look for family members."

Soma gave one sad laugh. "They really needed more people like him in the army."

"Well, he's our soldier now," Mina smiled.

The redhead let Soma's focus drift for a few moments. She studied the way his eyelids sank, the slight pull in his lips as he watched over Arikado. He had hardly left the dhampir's side after they returned from their trek through the forest. They'd just barely managed to get him to wash up, but he still hadn't eaten anything. Even the promise of beef curry for lunch hadn't pulled him away. He couldn't risk anything else happening to Arikado. The very thought of him languishing alone broke Soma's heart. That pain hurt Mina, too.

"They, um…" Mina stammered. "They're bringing medical support, too. They're very worried about Arikado."

Soma nodded. "I'm glad they care." He looked to her, then tipped his head back. "Want to see him?"

Mina fidgeted. "Is it okay?"

"Absolutely," Soma smirked. "Just close the door first."

With a gentle push, Mina slid the door to the spa room shut. She slunk to Soma's side, then knelt down. He pulled a layer of cloth back, tucking it into a gap in the suitcase barrier. He revealed washed, bruised skin. Hair was blood and snarl free, brushed smooth. Arikado was dressed down, wearing little more than a buttoned shirt and slacks, golden relics peeking through an open collar. It was good to see him cleaned. Even as out of it as he was, he would have hated to remain so filthy.

Mina lay down across Soma's stomach, studying the thinness in Arikado's face. "Oh, Soma…"

Soma scratched the back of his head. "I-I know he looks kind of scary, but—"

"Not at all!" Mina cut him off. She leaned onto her hands. "You're taking really good care of him."

Soma flushed red. "T-Thanks." He guided Mina's right hand onto Arikado's skin. "Here. Let him know you're with him."

Mina screwed up her face. "Huh?"

"Vampires can see and feel people's blood vessels. It gives humans this kind of glow. It's really pretty," Soma explained. "Guess I'm hoping that he can still sense us, even if he isn't awake."

Mina agreed. "I hope so, too."

She stroked the top of Arikado's right hand. Soma grinned. Mina was as careful as he was, a little bewildered but still kind. Even without his vampire vision, he could still see how stunning she was. He rested his left hand on her shoulder, playing with the ends of her hair as she watched Arikado sleep. His eyelids felt heavy. He could rest, knowing Mina was here. She would be good to Arikado, too.

"Do you think if we had kids, they'd be like him?" Mina asked.

"I don't know." It took Soma a moment to realize the intensity of Mina's question. "I mean, it's not like Arikado and I are genetically related, and personalities aren't—wait, why are you asking about that?"

Mina shrunk into her shoulders. "I-I don't know." She rolled her head, then laughed. "I just like to think that if we ever have kids, he'll treat them like his siblings."

An awkward smile escaped Soma. "I'm sure he would, but…man, it's way too early to start thinking about stuff like that." He smiled, then patted Mina's back. "I mean, I've still got a dance to make up to you. Probably a couple dozen dates, too. Maybe a wedding."

"Maybe," Mina echoed. "Assuming Arikado's mom isn't around."

Soma arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Mina's thoughts left an ache in his heart. "If she reincarnated like you did, you'd want to be with her, right? Doesn't leave a lot of room for me."

A life without Mina wasn't a life Soma could comprehend. His soul crumbled at so much of the thought of her being ripped from him. He leaned down, resting his cheek on her head. "I have no world without you in it."

"Really?" Big brown eyes beaded with tears.

"Really," Soma nodded. "Besides. It seems like whenever I shack up with that lady, it ends badly for both of us. Maybe we need to stop repeating things."

Mina blew a raspberry at him. "That didn't come out as romantic as you think it did."

Soma scrunched up. "Sorry." He gave her a fresh smile. "At least no one else is trying to jump me. It's nice to get a break from—"

Another round of beeping cut him off.

Soma clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, sighing. His phone was still dry-heaving photos. He reached for the device, then unlocked it. He gagged at the new image. Mina was curious about his sudden greenness. She leaned over, then covered her mouth, eyes wide.

"What in the hell is that?" Mina asked.

"I think Beth spammed my phone. It's been struggling to get messages all morning." Soma winced, trying to look away from the repulsive image. "Julius told me to save some photos for his family records. He wants to archive the incident, and since Beth did a lot of the legwork for us—"

"Funny choice of words," Mina muttered. "More like tailwork."

She motioned for Soma to pass her the phone. He hesitated, then surrendered the device. There was nothing there that he was ashamed for Mina to see. There were quite a few that would have made Arikado sick, for sure, but it was all part of the recording process. He frowned as Mina's face blanched. They really were too much. She was going to need to pour bleach in her eyes to scrubs the vile pictures away.

Mina shook her head. "This won't do! You need one good photo."

Soma pursed his lips. "Of what?"

A click from his cellphone answered him before Mina did. His first instinct was to panic. Had she taken a picture of Arikado? The agent was way too sickly to be seen right now. Even when he was healthy, he was dodgy about having his photo taken. Soma pulled the sheets over Arikado's body again. "C'mon, Mina! Give the guy some—"

His words slowed as Mina tilted his phone back to him.

It was strange for Soma to see himself with black hair. He looked like he could finally blend into any crowd, as if he wasn't some unearthly devil masquerading as a human or prematurely aged. Odder yet was how Arikado slept against him. What little was left of the agent's cheek rested on Soma's forearm. He looked relaxed, content.

"Do you like it?" Mina asked.

Soma's dark eyes glimmered. "Best picture I've gotten all week."

/***/

Pink.

There were trickles of pink coming from outside. Sunlight rushed through dancing flecks. They weaved on thin walls, the top of a wooden lid. A gust of wind sent them scattering. They carried a scent of incense, fresh flowers. A pointed nose took the aroma in. Thin ribs expanded, then contracted, shifting layers of cotton. Long, pale fingers pushed them back. They patted the crack between the coffin's lid and walls. With a slow tug, they drug their drowsy owner out of his slumber.

Sunshine. Shoji doors. Tatami flooring. Tired eyes blinked. This wasn't quite right. Where was he? Why was Soma staring at him like—

The young man gasped. He sprung from his chair, then dashed out of the room, his seat crashing to the ground. Arikado frowned. Soma was going to damage the floors, running around like that. He gathered his strength, then sat up. This wasn't the best coffin he'd ever slept in, but he was lucky he had a place to rest at all. Even a refrigerator box would have been sufficient.

Soma rushed back into the room. The boy was a whirlwind, mouth going faster than his brain. "Okay. You've got a lot of questions, I'm betting! Don't worry! I've got it under control! Here's your suit, your sword, a report, some grooming stuff, a glass of—hey, are you okay?"

Arikado frowned. "I am fine. Merely dazed."

"You look like you're gonna pass out again." Soma nudged Arikado into the righted seat, then passed him the water. "Drink this. You'll feel better."

"Thank you." Arikado bowed his head before drinking. Tissues revived at the flush of fluid in his body. There was a twinge in his throat, a pain like a whiskey burn. He grimaced. It wasn't full-on holy water, but there was a touch of some residual sacred power to it. "Are we on holy ground?"

Soma drew back. "Yeah. We're at Mina's place. How'd you—"

Arikado tipped his glass. "I can taste it."

"Man, you are really sensitive, aren't you?" Soma threw a thumb over his shoulder. "If you need me to get something else to drink, or some food, or maybe even help getting to the bathroom, I can—"

"No. That's quite alright." Arikado put the glass aside. "Sit. Tell me what's happened."

The young man plopped onto the tatami floors. "Well, um…we survived. Everyone's okay. The Agency's been doing some investigations on what happened with that Keepers of the Dragon's Court cult. Who they were, where they got such a crazy idea, what they did. That kind of stuff."

"I see." Arikado leaned forward. "What did they find?"

"Well, it sounds like Maruki used to manage a Family Mart. Probably why he wore all that green." Soma relaxed as gentle fingers massaged his temples. "Chika and Miyu were classmates. No one's quite sure where Beth came from. She was here on an illegal visa, and—man, whatever you're doing feels good."

Arikado smiled. "I'm fixing your hair." He tipped his head, studying the bloom of white springing fresh from Soma's scalp. "My apologies for the transformation. I could think of little other way to protect you, at the time. Did it cause any inconveniences?"

Soma shrugged. "A lot of people didn't recognize me at first, but they figured out who I was pretty quickly." He grinned, then rocked his head. "My mom said I was born with black hair. Just grew out white. She thought it was cool to see me like that."

"The same happened to me," Arikado nodded. He smoothed out Soma's hair, then got the young man back on track. "I'm glad to hear everyone is well."

Soma bobbed his head. "Oh, yeah. We healed up really quick. You were…" He caught himself, then shook his dread away. "Well, you scared us for a bit. But, you're okay now."

Arikado drew his lips together. "How long was I out?"

"Couple weeks," Soma replied.

It wasn't a record breaker, for the man who had slept three hundred years. It was concerning enough. Usually, a day's worth of rest was enough to restore his strength. He let a sigh seep away. Had Soma been watching over him the entire time?

"I apologize for putting such a burden on you," Arikado murmured.

"Hey! Nothing to it. You weren't a lot of trouble." Soma crossed his arms. "Besides, I had help! The Agency monitored you for about a week, but they lightened up when you started looking better. Julius and Yoko stuck around to watch over you. Family honor, they said. And Hammer's self-employed, so he just kinda bummed with Mina and me!"

That sort of attention was excessive—embarrassing. "You all are too kind." Arikado drew himself up. "I'd like to go see them. If they are available, that is."

Soma bobbed his head. "Long as you're up for it." He snatched the garment bag from the ground, then tossed it in Arikado's lap. "Thought you'd want to get dressed. You probably don't feel like yourself without half a dozen pairs of underwear on, right?"

Arikado opened his mouth to chastise the boy. He glanced down, voice cracking. Somebody had already redressed him once. That was what he hated most about these deep sleeps. Someone always ended up stripping him down and putting him in random clothes. His face screwed up, tone bitter. "Turn around. Now."

"Yeah, yeah. You've got it." Soma spun around, then crossed his arms. "Nothing to feel embarrassed about. I'm your dad, after all. I probably changed your diapers and stuff."

Arikado groaned. "I changed Julius and Yoko's diapers, but you do not hear me discussing that with them." He stopped his complaining as he unzipped the garment bag. "Is this—"

Soma shrugged. "I thought you needed something new."

A new black uniform was tucked inside the bag. There were gold embellishments in the hem of the jacket, buttons with raised swirls on its surface. A black vest was tucked beneath it, decorated in the same fashion. There was a tie laid with it, a garnet dot pinned towards the middle of its slender length. A white handkerchief was folded and placed in the left breast pocket. The outline of an embroidered dove peeked at him. Arikado chuckled. It was a cheeky little animal, something Maria would have sneaked in.

"Laugh it up," Soma sighed. "I don't do suits. Just coats."

Arikado shook his head. "No, it's good. Very generous. Thank you." He sighed, then slid his old dress shirt off. "The handkerchief reminded me of Maria is all."

Soma smirked. "That was Mina's idea. She said you needed to have something on you to remind you of her. Either doves or owls, right?"

Darkness seeped from Arikado's voice. "You know more than what I told you."

"Julius and Yoko told us about her. And Richter." Soma grimaced, then ran through a list. "And Trevor, Sypha, Grant, the Morris and Lecarde families, Mina's grandparents, Julius' dad, Yoko's mom—"

"Please…" Arikado shook his head. "Not now."

"I know. Can't be easy thinking about them." Soma scuffed the floor with his right foot. "But, I know you made them happy. I think…I think they would have all been here for you, if they could have." He laughed to himself, shaking his head. "Maybe Maria was. There's been doves all over the Hakuba Shrine, lately. Bats too. Never seen those two animals together before."

That was odd. Arikado finished dressing himself, his mind settling on that thought. Maybe Soma was right. Maria would have helped them, if she was not out walking with her beloved celestial beasts. It was vain to hope that there was something eternal to her left on Earth, that those gods loved her so much that they wanted to share her spirit with the world. Arikado felt a little selfish, wishing she was still with him. He longed for her sanguine spirit, her loud singing, her aggressive affection.

He missed all of them so much. He could still hear Richter's laugh, the way his eyes would light up in a fight. He owed his life and freedom to Trevor's rough kindness and wild gambles. There was no forgetting the way Sypha would chew him out while stitching up his wounds, the same smile that Yoko carried so many centuries later. Even Grant's constant trickery and pick-pocketing was endearing. Hundreds of people, thousands of quirks. He would remember each one, honor every last memory, even when it hurt.

For now, he needed to focus on was who was still here—who was patient and caring enough to put up with an ancient grouch like him.

"Ready yet?" Soma asked.

"I still need to put on my disguise," Arikado replied.

Soma waved a hand, sticking his tongue out. "Please. You look fine without it."

"I most certainly do not!" Arikado huffed. "Do you know what kind of attention I will get if I walk around Miss Hakuba's shrine like this? Her guests will think I'm some sort of ghost! I will scare them off!"

"Yo. Look who you're talking to." Soma flicked his fringe. He laughed as gold eyes turned away, lips pursed into an irritated frown. His chuckling slowed as he studied Arikado's face. Soma grimaced. Had he put his foot in his mouth? He reached forward, then dusted wayward strands of hair off Arikado's shoulders. "It's your body. Do what you wanna do with it, but I don't want you feeling like you've got to hide yourself. Especially around Mina and me! We like you, no matter what you look like."

"As I you both," Arikado agreed. He straightened his jacket. "Very well. I am ready."

"Good!" Soma nodded. He grabbed Arikado's hand. "Better stick with me. We can't have you running off and fainting behind a gravestone or something."

The young man threw back the Hakuba residence's exit. A blast of petals struck the pair. Arikado coughed, the air and flowers catching him off guard. Cherry blossom season. He hadn't quite gotten used to it. No matter how many shops would sell soaps or treats with the substance in spring, it would always surprise him. Soma chuckled at his shock, then batted a stuck petal out of Arikado's hair. Maybe the agent had a point. He was going to look like a flower child by the time they got inside again.

There were people milling below a large hill. They studied stone columns, lit incense along cobbled paths. Few paid any mind to Soma or Arikado as they continued their worship. Some children turned to watch them as their parents pulled them along, amused by silver tendrils catching pink blossoms. Another man noticed them, then sniffed. They were no business of his. A foreigner paused to look at them, but she turned her head away before too long. They both knew what it was like to stick out in crowds. It was best to just let each other be.

Pushy winds brought a familiar voice. "—which means 'Fox' in French. So, that seal—"

"Oh! I get it!" Another interrupted. "A wolf and a fox! One for him, one for her!"

Energetic words stilled as Mina and Yoko came up the stone path. Shining brown eyes widened further. Arikado drew his head back. He didn't make it two steps back before Mina caught him. Soma and Yoko roared with laughter as the miko fussed with the dhampir. Even dressed in her shrine's regalia, she broke form, exuding more joy than she could contain.

"Good morning, Miss Hakuba," Arikado greeted the shrine maiden.

Mina beamed. "Good morning, Mister Arikado!" She let him go, stopping her assault only to straighten her robes. "Are you feeling better?"

"Very much so. I have all of you to thank for my recovery." Arikado leaned forward, bowing to her. "Additionally, I must thank you for your hospitality. I hope I was not too bothersome."

"Are you kidding? You were no trouble at all!" She gave a happy squeak, then nudged him in the shoulder. "By the way—Yoko ratted you out, you little sneak! Don't think you can just fling donations at my family for forty years and not say anything!"

Arikado pulled a face. So much for his anonymous activities. "I did not believe your family needed to know."

"That's what you say about everything!" Mina huffed.

He sighed. She spoke the truth. For Soma and Mina, he could drop his defensive act. That was not a hard sacrifice to make. "Alright. I will be a little more transparent."

"Good." Mina bobbed her head.

Yoko grinned behind her. There was a devious glimmer in her eyes. "Maybe you should show him what you've been doing with his investments, Mina."

Mina's hair bounced at the idea. "Oh my gosh! You're right!" She grabbed Arikado's hand, then yanked him forward. "Quick! Follow me!"

"Settle down, Mina!" Soma slowed her bolting. "You're going to make him pass out again."

"O-oh! I'm sorry." Mina apologized.

Arikado smiled, then patted her hand. "It's alright. Please. Lead on."

She descended the stone stairs with a more elegant gait, a little more conscientious of Arikado's condition. Soma followed them, his smirking bright. Yoko squeezed his shoulders. Her kind cuddling was joined by a monstrous squeeze. Soma squawked as Hammer side-lined him. He smiled wide, delighted to see Soma wandering the shrine grounds with a smile on his face.

"And I thought Papa Wolf wasn't going to leave his den ever again," Hammer teased.

"I had to make sure someone wasn't tackling the guests." Soma laughed. "I don't know how you greet people in America, but that's just rude here."

Hammer snorted. "Please. I've seen kids running around here, poking each other in their keisters. That ain't right at all."

Soma and his companions fanned into swarming crowds, listening to chatter along the way. Clouds of incense curled around his face, bringing fresh flower petals with its pull. White birds leapt from thick, pink boughs, following the curious pale-haired youth. He gave one passing glance to a familiar old statue, then patted its feet. That mother and child weren't abandoned today. All around them was brimming life, parents and children stopping to admire fleeting beauty and the peace of what had passed on.

A burly man in a leather duster was standing before carved stone to the south of the shrine. He stopped his studies as the group strolled down to meet him. Julius smiled at Mina's company. He stepped back, letting her drag their friends to the front of the new object in her home. Tough hands gave two solid pats on Soma's shoulder, a grin beaming beneath Julius' moustache. The kid had done well. It was hard not to be proud of him.

Mina turned to Arikado, then raised her hand to the statue behind her. "This is for you and Maria."

Arikado was speechless. Not the usual kind of silence everyone had come to expect from him. It was something awestruck, humbled. To the untrained eye, the statue appeared to be nothing more than a phoenix—legendary, but not worth its existence within a shrine. Arikado was familiar with this particular beast. He hadn't felt its presence in nearly two hundred years, but he knew it all the same.

"Suzaku," Arikado whispered. "Miss Hakuba, that's—"

"No fussing." Mina cut him off. "The Four Sacred Beasts served Maria, right? She helped you. You protected Soma, and he saved me. That's not even getting into what Julius and Yoko's families have done for us!" She caught his hands, then rubbed his palms, pleased with how soft and full they were. "It's the will of the gods that we are here with each other. We are family. I don't want any of you to forget that."

"Even me?" Hammer asked.

"Like we'd cut out our number one supplier," Soma laughed.

Julius put a hand on Arikado's shoulder. "Congratulations. You've been adopted."

Confusion drew a startled gasp from the agent. "What?"

"I mean, I don't know if it's adoption, but…" Soma sighed. "Look. The other part of me? He loves you, and that scares the hell out of me. Maybe you were right to not tell me who you are. He knows now, and he'll tear me apart if anything ever happens to you."

Arikado frowned. "Soma, don't fear him. You have control over your soul. You don't have to do anything on his behalf."

"But this time? I really want to." Shaky lungs drew in a deep breath. "I can't take away the things Dracula did to you, and I can't be the dad you should have had, but I can be here for you. Just like you've been there for us."

"And even if we can't—someone else will be." Mina hugged Soma's shoulders. "There's always a Belmont and a Belnades, right? So, we won't be outdone. There will be a Hakuba, too!"

Hammer looked to Yoko. "Shouldn't it be another Cruz?"

Yoko hushed him. "You know what she means."

Julius smirked. He let go of Arikado, giving him one last pat. "What do you tell the nice kids?"

Arikado tried to speak. Such a valiant effort brought nothing more than a short breath, a wordless crack. Soma and Mina pulled him into their arms. Pale hair fell down Soma's face, hot tears following. The spring wind pulled that white mane around the two young people. There, beneath a false front, was true warmth, something hidden from the rest of the turbulent, garish world. Gratitude known but unspoken, affection eternally earned.

Dracula could keep his opulent castles and the wondrous music of his wicked servants. Soma was more blessed to be in this shrine with his patchwork family, the wind playing its quiet symphony.

* * *

Author's Note

Okay. That's it. We're done. Go home!

Actually, before you head out—thank you for reading. I do hope you enjoyed this story. I don't have much in my history for "Castlevania" fanfiction, but there is "Bonds of Vanity", for those who want a straight-up "Dracula X" era tale. Feel free to check that out!

I don't have too much in the way of plans for a next story. We'll see what happens. There's probably another canon hole that I'll get cranked up about and try to fix. Like, seriously—I shouldn't have had to write a twenty-seven chapters story for this! How did Konami never talk about this relationship or Julius' adventures or...well, I suppose we could fight all day long about pachislot games and exporting game development to external studios. Here's hoping this story holds the fandom until canon proper can joss it. And they had better do a better job than I did, dammit!

Thanks again.


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